A Spring Outing
c. 1768
Medium
Color woodblock print; chuban
Dimensions
28 × 21.3 cm (11 × 8 3/8 in.)
Classification
woodblock print
Department
Arts of Asia
Museum
Art Institute of Chicago
Accession Number
89052
Art Historical Context
Suzuki Harunobu's *A Spring Outing*c. 1768) a delightful color woodblock print from Japan's Edo period, capturing the ephemeral joy of springtime leisure. Created in the chuban format—a compact size about 28 × .3 cm—this uyo-e work exemplifies thepictures of the floating world genre, which celebrated everyday amid urban life in th-century Japan. Harobu, a pioneering artist1725–1770 revolutionized printmaking by introducing-color nishiki-e around 1765, multiple woodblocks inked vibrant hues to layer delicate and textures. The scene evokes hanami, the tradition of cherry blossom viewing with el...
About the Artist
Suzuki Harunobu · 1725–1770
Suzuki Harunobu (c. 1725-1770) was a Japanese ukiyo-e artist who revolutionized woodblock printing by developing nishiki-e—full-color prints using multiple woodblocks—in 1765. Before Harunobu, Japanese prints were limited to two or three colors; his innovation unleashed the entire artist's palette, transforming ukiyo-e into the vibrant art form that would later captivate Western artists from Manet...