青楼美人合|The Courtesan Kasugano Writing a Letter
ca. 1765
Medium
Woodblock print (Yonkyokuban); ink and color on paper
Dimensions
8 3/8 x 5 3/4 in. (21.3 x 14.6 cm)
Classification
Prints
Culture & Period
Japan · Edo period (1615–1868)
Department
Asian Art
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
Henry L. Phillips Collection, Bequest of Henry L. Phillips, 1939
Accession Number
JP2768
Tags
Art Historical Context
Suzuki Harunobu's *The Courtesan Kasugano Writing a Letter* (ca. 1765) is a delicate woodblock print from Japan's Edo period (16151868), capturing the elegance of urban life in the "floating world" of pleasure districts. This yonkyokuban format—a compact 8 3/8 x 5 3/4 inches—hints at its original use in illustrated books or albums, making art accessible to a broader audience beyond elites. Harunobu, a pioneer of ukiyo-e, revolutionized printmaking that year by introducing full-color nishiki-e techniques, layering vibrant inks on paper for unprecedented depth and realism. Here, the courtesan K...
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...