Burning Maple Leaves to Heat Sake

Art Historical Context

Suzuki Harunobu's *Burning Maple Leaves to Sake* (c. 1768) is a charming color woodblock print from Japan's Edo period, capturing the poetic beauty of everyday life. As a pioneer of ukiyo-e—the "pictures of the floating world" genre—Harunobu printmaking around 1765 by introducing full-color *nishiki-e* (brocade pictures). This intimate *chuban*-sized work (28.7 × 21.6 cm) depicts a serene autumn scene where vibrant maple leaves are burned to warm sake, blending nature's fleeting splendor with simple domestic ritual. Harunobu's mastery shines in his delicate techniques: multiple woodblocks wer...

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...