
1765–1777
A courtesan and her two assistants view a cherry tree on the grounds of Kiyomizu Temple in Kyoto. Although theyounger women appear unaffected by the sight, the older woman seems struck by it, recalling a famous poem by Ono no Komachi that is written in a cloud: Why have I grown old withoutaccomplishing anything,While the appearance of the waterfallremains unchanged.(Translation by Chie Hirano) The waterfall at Kiyomizu Temple is not pictured in this image, although it often appears in illustrations of this scene from Komachi’s life.