By the Stream
c. 1765
Medium
Color woodblock print; right sheet of chuban diptych (left sheet: 1925.2031)
Dimensions
28.1 × 21 cm (11 1/8 × 8 5/16 in.)
Classification
woodblock print
Department
Arts of Asia
Museum
Art Institute of Chicago
Accession Number
20022
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.
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...