Pleasure with the Beauties of Japan (Wakoku bijin asobi)
c. 1673
Medium
Woodblock-printed book, sumizuri-e
Dimensions
27.3 × 19.1 cm (10 3/4 × 7 1/2 in.)
Classification
book
Department
Arts of Asia
Museum
Art Institute of Chicago
Accession Number
204059
Art Historical Context
**Pleasure with the Beaut of Japan (Wak bijin asobi)**, created by Hishikawa Morobu around 1673, is a captivating woodblock-printed book (sumizuri-e) from Japan's Edo period. Measuring 27.3 × 19.1 cm, this monochrome masterpiece exemplifies early ukiyo-e, the "pictures of the floating world" that celebrated fleeting pleasures like beauty, theater, and urban life. Moronobu, often hailed as the first great ukiyo-e master, populated its pages with elegant courtesans and revelers, offering visitors a vivid glimpse into 17th-century Tokyo's vibrant Yoshiwara pleasure district. Printed in single-co...
About the Artist
Hishikawa Moronobu
Hishikawa Moronobu (1618–1694) holds an unassailable position in Japanese art history as the founder of ukiyo-e, the 'pictures of the floating world' that would become Japan's most internationally recognized art form. Born in the provincial town of Yasuda during the early Edo period, Moronobu transformed woodblock printing from a purely utilitarian craft into an independent artistic medium, establ...