風流七小町 しみず|Shimizu Temple
ca. 1765
Medium
Woodblock print; ink and color on paper; Benizuri-e; small print (hosoban)
Dimensions
12 7/32 x 5 1/2 in. (31.1 x 14.0 cm)
Classification
Prints
Culture & Period
Japan · Edo period (1615–1868)
Department
Asian Art
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
The Francis Lathrop Collection, Purchase, Frederick C. Hewitt Fund, 1911
Accession Number
JP699
Tags
Art Historical Context
Suzuki Harunobu *Fūryū Shichi Komachi: Shimizu*ca. 1765) a delicate woodblock print from Japan's Edo period, exemplifying ukiyo-e tradition capturing fleeting beauty. Thisizuri-e—a " print" technique using limited, primarily pink safflower dye (beni alongside ink—marks an innovation in color printing. as a narrow hosoban (just 5½ wide), it was affordable and intimate, perfect for urban collectors in bustling Edo (modern Tokyo). The title evokes the "Stylish Seven Beauties a popular series reimagining legendary courtesans like Ono no Kom in contemporary settings. Here, elegant women gather at ...
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...