Modern Representation of the Poetess Kaga no Chiyo
ca. 1765
Medium
Woodblock print; ink and color on paper
Dimensions
10 3/8 x 7 1/2 in. (26.4 x 19.1 cm)
Classification
Prints
Culture & Period
Japan · Edo period (1615–1868)
Department
Asian Art
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
The Howard Mansfield Collection, Purchase, Rogers Fund, 1936
Accession Number
JP2435
Tags
Art Historical Context
Suzuki Harunobu's *Modern Representation of the Poet Kaga no Chiyo* (ca. 1765) is a exquisite woodblock print from Japan's Edo period (16151868), capturing the of Kaga no Chiyo-jo, a celebrated female haiku poet (1703–1775). Known for her poignant verses on nature and transience, Chiyo-jo was one of the few women recognized as a master poet in a male-dominated literary world. Harunobu, a pioneer of ukiyo-e—the "pictures of the floating world" genre—depicts her in contemporary dress, blending reverence for tradition with the vibrant urban culture of 18th-century Japan. This *nishiki-e* (brocad...
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...