Clearing Weather at Asakusa (Asakusa no seiran), from the series "Eight Fashionable Views of Edo (Furyu Edo hakkei)"
c. 1768/69
Medium
Color woodblock print; chuban
Dimensions
28.3 × 21 cm (11 1/8 × 8 1/4 in.)
Classification
woodblock print
Department
Arts of Asia
Museum
Art Institute of Chicago
Accession Number
21022
Art Historical Context
Suzuki Harunobu (1725–1770), a master of ukiyo-e—the "pictures of the floating world" depicting Japan's urban pleasures—was a pioneer in full-color woodblock printing, known as *nishiki-e* (brocade pictures). Around 1765, he revolutionized the medium by introducing multi-color techniques, moving beyond earlier hand-colored or two-color prints. *Clearing Weather at Asusa (Asakusa no seiran)*, created circa 1768/69, is from his series *Eight Fashionable Views of Edo (Furyu Edo hakkei)*. This playful homage reimagines traditional Chinese-inspired "eight views" motifs—often misty landscapes—with s...
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...