Man and Girl
Medium
Woodblock print; ink and color on paper
Dimensions
H. 23 9/16 in. (59.8 cm); W. 3 15/16 in. 910 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
JP1798
Tags
Art Historical Context
Kikugawa Eizan *Man and Girl* is a woodblock print from Japan’s Edo period (161–1868), showcasing the artist’s mastery of ukiyo-e, the “pictures of the floating world” that celebrated everyday beauty, theater, and urban life in Edo (modern Tokyo). Created with ink and vibrant colors on paper, this, narrow hashira-e (pillar print)—measuring 23 9/16 x 3 15/16 inches—was designed to hang vertically on pillars or walls, immersing viewers in intimate scenes. Eizan (1787–1867), a leading figure in the late Edo ukiyo-e tradition, was renowned for his elegant depictions of women (bijin-ga), blending d...
About the Artist
Kikugawa Eizan · 1787–1867
Kikukawa Eizan (1787–1867), born Toshinobu Ōmiya in Edo (modern-day Tokyo), emerged as one of the late Edo period's foremost ukiyo-e artists, specializing in the delicate art of *bijin-ga*—depictions of beautiful women imbued with poetic grace. The son of Kikugawa Eiji, a painter in the Kanō school tradition known for fans and minor works, Eizan began his training under his father. He later studie...