A Spring Night (Yayoi no yube)
c. 1847-52
Medium
Color woodblock print
Dimensions
72.7 × 36.1 cm (28 5/8 × 14 1/4 in.)
Classification
woodblock print
Department
Arts of Asia
Museum
Art Institute of Chicago
Accession Number
149134
Art Historical Context
**A Spring Night (Yayoi no yube)**, created by Utagawa Kunada I (also known as Toyokuni) around 1847–52, captures the poetic essence of a spring evening in Edo-period Japan. Kunisada, a leading figure in the ukiyo-e tradition—"pictures of the floating world"— renowned for his vibrant depictions of beautiful women (bijin-ga), theater scenes, and seasonal motifs This color woodblock print, measuring an impressive 72.7 36.1 cm, likely portrays elegant figures amid the soft glow of twilight, evoking the transient beauty of cherry blossoms and early spring (Yayoi, the third lunar month). The mediu...
About the Artist
Utagawa Kunisada I (Toyokuni III) · 1786–1864
Utagawa Kunisada I, also known as Toyokuni III (1786–1865), was born Sumida Shōgorō in the Honjo district of Edo (modern Tokyo) into a family that operated a hereditary ferry-boat service, providing stability after his father's early death. Displaying prodigious talent in drawing from childhood, he became an apprentice to the master Utagawa Toyokuni I around 1801 at age fifteen, entering the prest...