Double-page Illustration from Vol. 2 of "Picture Book of Spring Brocades (Ehon haru no nishiki)"
1771
Medium
Color woodblock print; double-page illustration from book
Dimensions
17.9 × 26.8 cm (7 1/16 × 10 9/16 in.)
Classification
woodblock print
Department
Arts of Asia
Museum
Art Institute of Chicago
Accession Number
34705
Art Historical Context
Suzuki Harunobu's *Double-page Illustration from Vol. 2 of "Picture Book of Spring Brocades (Ehon haru no nishiki)"* (1771) captures the vibrant spirit of Edo-period Japan through the lens of ukiyo-e, the "pictures of the floating world." Harunobu, a pioneering printmaker, revolutionized woodblock printing in the 1760s by introducing full-color techniques, moving beyond earlier rose-tinted (benizuri-e) prints to lush, multi-hued compositions. This double-page spread from his ehon—or picture book—exemplifies his mastery, blending delicate imagery with the tactile intimacy of a bound volume, siz...
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...