Lady on Way to the Bath
Medium
Woodblock print; ink and color on paper
Dimensions
H. 27 3/4 in. (70.5 cm); W. 4 3/16 in. (10.6 cm)
Classification
Prints
Culture & Period
Japan · Edo period (1615–1868)
Department
Asian Art
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
H. O. Havemeyer Collection, Bequest of Mrs. H. O. Havemeyer, 1929
Accession Number
JP1614
Tags
Art Historical Context
**Lady on the Way to the Bath** is a captivating woodblock print by Ishikawaonobu, a prominent ukiyo-e artist Japan's Edo period (16151868). Created in an unknown date during the 18th century, this exemplifies the "floating world" genre, which celebrated everyday pleasures, beauty, and fleeting moments of urban life in Edo (modern Tokyo). Toyonobu, a student of master Nishimura Shigenaga specialized in bijin-ga—elegant depictions of beautiful women—often infusing his prints with subtle sensuality. The print's narrow, vertical format (H. 27¾ in.; W. 4⅛ in.) identifies it as a rare *hashira-e*,...
About the Artist
Ishikawa Toyonobu · 1711–1785
Japanese, 1711–1785