In the Style of a Young Man (Wakashu fu), Left Sheet of Triptych (Sanpukutsui hidari)
c. 1730
Medium
Hand-colored woodblock print; hosoban, urushi-e
Dimensions
33.1 × 16.2 cm (13 × 6 3/8 in.)
Classification
woodblock print
Department
Arts of Asia
Museum
Art Institute of Chicago
Accession Number
36352
Art Historical Context
Nishimura Shigenaga's *In the Style of a Young Man (Wakashu fu), Left Sheet of Triptych (Sanpukutsui hidari)*, created around 1730, captures the vibrant world of Edo-period Japan through a hand-colored woodblock print in the narrow hosoban format. Measuring just 33.1 × 16.2 cm, this intimate urushi-e—named for its glossy, lacquer-like sheen achieved with glue and pigment—exemplifies early ukiyo-e artistry. As the left panel of a triptych, it invites viewers to imagine its companions, forming a larger narrative scene typical of the "floating world" prints that celebrated urban pleasures. Shige...
About the Artist
Nishimura Shigenaga · 1690–1758
Nishimura Shigenaga (c. 1697–1756) was a pioneering Japanese ukiyo-e printmaker born in Edo (modern-day Tokyo), where he initially worked as a landlord in the Tōriabura-chō district before relocating to Kanda-Sakumachō to operate a bookshop. Self-taught with no known formal teacher, he immersed himself in art around 1719, drawing early inspiration from the Torii school's yakusha-e (actor portraits...