Parting of Lovers: The Morning After
ca. 1765–70
Medium
Woodblock print; chuban yoko-e; ink and color on paper
Dimensions
H. 8 in. (20.3 cm); W. 12 5/16 in. (31.3 cm) medium-size print (chu-ban)
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
JP1646
Tags
Art Historical Context
Suzuki Harunobu *Parting of Lovers: Morning After* (ca. 1765–70) is a delicate woodblock print from Japan's Edo period (16151868), capturing the tender yet melancholic moment when lovers must part at dawn. This intimate scene, rendered in the ukiyo-e tradition of the "floating world"—depicting fleeting pleasures—showcases a man and woman in a private, emotional exchange, evoking the transience of romance in urban Edo society. Printed in full color on paper as a chuban yoko-e (horizontal medium-size format, about 8 x 12 inches), the work exemplifies Harunobu's groundbreaking techniques. He pio...
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...