Bedroom Scene

Art Historical Context

This woodblock print, titled *Bedroom Scene*, was created around 1739 by Okura Masanobu during Japan’s Edo period (1615–1868). Measuring roughly 10 ¾ by 15 inches, the work is executed in ink and color on paper using the woodblock technique, with delicate hand-coloring that adds subtle warmth and detail to the composition. The image depicts an intimate moment between male and female figures, reflecting the period’s interest in scenes of private life. Woodblock printing flourished in Edo Japan as an accessible art form that combined skilled carving, inking, and pressing to produce multiple impressions. Hand-coloring, as seen here, allowed artists to enhance each sheet individually, giving the prints a painterly quality while keeping them affordable for a growing urban audience. Masanobu, active in the early eighteenth century, contributed to the development of this medium at a time when ukiyo-e imagery was expanding beyond theatrical and landscape subjects. The presence of both male and female nudes situates the print within the long tradition of erotic imagery in Japanese art. Such works often served both decorative and educational purposes, offering viewers glimpses of idealized domestic or romantic encounters. Today, this piece in the Metropolitan Museum’s collection invites us to appreciate the technical refinement and cultural openness of Edo-period printmaking.

About the Artist

Okumura Masanobu · 1686–1764

Japanese, 1686–1764