Bedroom Scene
ca. 1739
Medium
Woodblock print; ink and color on paper (hand colored)
Dimensions
10 3/4 x 15 1/8 in. (27.3 x 38.4 cm)
Classification
Prints
Culture & Period
Japan · Edo period (1615–1868)
Department
Asian Art
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
Anonymous Gift, 1945
Accession Number
JP3036
Tags
Art Historical Context
Okumura Masanobu's *Bedroom Scene* (ca. 1739) captures an intimate moment from Japan's vibrant Edo period (1615–1868), a time of urban prosperity and cultural flourishing in cities like Edo (modern Tokyo). As a master of ukiyo-e—"pictures of the floating world"—Masanobu depicted the fleeting pleasures of everyday life, often with a playful erotic undertone. This woodblock print, hand-colored with ink and vibrant pigments on paper, reflects the era's fascination with domestic scenes, where men and women shared private spaces amid rigid social norms. The hand-coloring technique, applied by skil...
About the Artist
Okumura Masanobu · 1686–1764
Japanese, 1686–1764