Beauty Adjusting her Hairpin
c. 1768/69
Medium
Color woodblock print; hashira-e
Dimensions
62.2 × 12.1 cm (24 5/8 × 4 3/4 in.)
Classification
woodblock print
Department
Arts of Asia
Museum
Art Institute of Chicago
Accession Number
22982
Art Historical Context
**Beauty Adjusting her Hairpin is a captivating color woodblock print by Suzuki Harunobu created around 1768/69. Harunobu, a pioneering ukiyo-e artist from Japan's Edo period (1603–1868), revolutionized printmaking by introducing full-color *nishiki-e* (brocade pictures) in 1765. This *hashira-e*—a tall, narrow pillar print measuring 62.2 × 12.1 cm—was designed to hang gracefully on architectural pillars in homes or teahouses, blending art seamlessly into daily life. The intimate scene depicts a graceful beauty pausing to adjust her hairpin, embodying the *bijin-ga* (pictures of beautiful wom...
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...