春の色|The Colors of Spring (Haru no iro) 春の色
preface dated 1794
Medium
Woodblock printed book; ink, color, and metallic pigments on paper
Dimensions
10 3/16 × 7 1/2 in. (25.8 × 19 cm)
Classification
Illustrated Books
Culture & Period
Japan · Edo period (1615–1868)
Department
Asian Art
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
Purchase, Mary and James G. Wallach Foundation Gift, 2013
Accession Number
2013.858
Tags
Art Historical Context
**The Colors of Spring (Har no iro)**, created by the renowned Japanese artist Kitagawa Utamaro 1794, is a captivating woodblock-printed book from Japan's Edo period (16151868). Utamaro, a master of ukiyo-e—the "pictures of the floating world" that celebrated everyday beauty and urban life—produced this preface-dated volume using ink, color, and pigments on paper. Measuring a compact 10 3/16 × 7 1/2 inches, it exemplifies the intricate craftsmanship of woodblock printing, where carved blocks were inked and pressed to create vibrant, multi-layered images accessible to a wide audience beyond the...
About the Artist
Kitagawa Utamaro 喜多川歌麿 (Japanese) · 1754 –1806
Japanese, ca. 1754–1806