By the Stream
c. 1765
Medium
Color woodblock print; left sheet of chuban diptych (right sheet: 1925.2032)
Dimensions
28.5 × 21.1 cm (11 1/4 × 8 5/16 in.)
Classification
woodblock print
Department
Arts of Asia
Museum
Art Institute of Chicago
Accession Number
20019
Rights
Public Domain
About this artwork
Two women in light, semi-transparent, summer kimono are relaxing by a stream. One has slipped her foot out of her wooden clogs and rests on a bench with her fan close at hand. The other ties her sash (obi), and has placed a brazier, pipe, and tobacco pouch on the bench. This is the second edition of a calendar print, with all of the year markings removed from the printing blocks. In its original edition, the imperial reign name of the year (second year of the Meiwa era, or 1765) appeared on the...
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...