Searching for Fireflies
1768
Medium
Color woodblock print, chūban
Dimensions
28.2 × 20.3 cm (11 × 8 in.)
Classification
woodblock print
Department
Arts of Asia
Museum
Art Institute of Chicago
Accession Number
77297
Rights
Public Domain
About this artwork
In this print, the complete absence of shadows or shading is a sign that the artist had not yet captured or become interested in the nuances of realistically presenting scenes set at specific times of day or night. The standing girl holds a lantern while the other one kneels by a cage for the fireflies.
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...