Pages from Vol. 1 and 2 of "Picture Book of Spring Brocades (Ehon haru no nishiki)"
1771
Medium
Color woodblock print; double-page illustration from book
Dimensions
18 × 27.5 cm (7 1/16 × 10 13/16 in.)
Classification
woodblock print
Department
Arts of Asia
Museum
Art Institute of Chicago
Accession Number
34739
Art Historical Context
Suzuki Harunobu's *Pages from Vol. and 2 of "Picture Book of Springcades (Ehon haru no nishiki)"* (1771) offers a delightful glimpse into Edo-period Japan through its vibrant color woodblock prints. As a pioneering ukiyo-e artist, Harunobu revolutionized printmaking by introducing full-color *nishiki-e* (brocade pictures) in 1765, using multiple woodblocks inked in various hues to achieve rich, layered tones. These double-page illustrations from an *ehon* (picture book), measuring 18 × 27.5 cm, exemplify his mastery in capturing the fleeting beauty of spring—likely featuring elegant courtesan...
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...