The Actor Segawa Kikunojo II as the courtesan Umegae in the play "Hiragana Seisuiki," performed at the Ichimura Theater in the first month, 1764
Suzuki Harunobu
1764
Medium
Color woodblock print; hosoban, benizuri-e
Dimensions
31 × 14 cm (12 1/8 × 5 1/2 in.)
Classification
woodblock print
Department
Arts of Asia
Museum
Art Institute of Chicago
Accession Number
19960
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...