Night Rain of Genjo (Genjo no yau), from the series "Parodies of Eight Scenes from Noh Chants (Furyu utai hakkei)"
c. 1767
Medium
Color woodblock print; hosoban
Dimensions
31.1 × 15 cm (12 1/4 × 5 7/8 in.)
Classification
woodblock print
Department
Arts of Asia
Museum
Art Institute of Chicago
Accession Number
32626
Art Historical Context
Suzuki Harunobu's *Night Rain of Genjo (Genjo no yau)*, created around 1767, is a delightful color woodblock print from series *Parodies of Eight from Noh ChantsFuryu utai hakkei)*. As a pioneer of full-color nishiki-e during Japan's Edo period, Harunobu transformed ukiyo-e—the "pictures of the floating world"— introducing vibrant, multi-block printing techniques that captured everyday beauty and theater-inspired whimsy. This narrow hosoban format (31.1 × 15 cm) was ideal for intimate viewing or as collectible calendar sheets, making art accessible to urban merchants and enthusiasts in 18th-ce...
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...