Man Falling Backward, Startled by a Woman's Ghost over a River
c. 1782
Medium
Color woodblock print; hosoban diptych
Dimensions
Right: 31.5 × 14.2 cm (12 3/8 × 5 9/16 in.); Left: 31.7 × 14.2 cm (12 1/2 × 5 9/16 in.)
Classification
woodblock print
Department
Arts of Asia
Museum
Art Institute of Chicago
Accession Number
88324
Art Historical Context
In the vibrant world of Edo-period Japan (1603–1868), Katsukawa Shunsho (1726–1792), a ukiyo-e master of the Katsukawa school, captured fleeting moments of drama and the supernatural. This color woodblock print diptych, titled *Man Falling Backward, Startled by a Woman's Ghost over a River* (c. 1782), exemplifies the hosoban format—a narrow, vertical design (each panel about 31.5 × 14.2 cm) ideal for intimate scenes or actor portraits. Shunsho's precise lines and bold colors, achieved through intricate woodblock carving and multiple color blocks (nishiki-e technique), brought everyday thrills ...