Sumirena: The Mistress of Yojiya (Yojiya musume, Sumirena), from the series "Beauties of the Floating World Compared to Flowers (Ukiyo bijin hana ni yosu)"
c. 1768/69
Medium
Color woodblock print; chuban
Dimensions
27.6 × 20.9 cm (10 7/8 × 8 1/4 in.)
Classification
woodblock print
Department
Arts of Asia
Museum
Art Institute of Chicago
Accession Number
21020
Art Historical Context
Suzuki Harunobu’s “Sumirena: The Mistress of Yojiya” belongs to his elegant series “Beauties of the Floating World Compared to Flowers,” created around 1768–69. In this charming chūban-sized woodblock print, a graceful young woman is portrayed as a living blossom, her poised figure and delicate features inviting viewers to appreciate both natural beauty and the refined allure of Edo-period courtesans. Harunobu was among the first artists to master full-color woodblock printing, known as nishiki-e, transforming what had been simpler prints into vibrant, multi-hued works. The modest 27.6 × 20.9...
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...