Two Children by a Well Curb
1796, year of the dragon
Medium
Woodblock print (surimono); ink and color on paper
Dimensions
Image: 7 3/8 x 6 3/4 in. (18.7 x 17.1 cm)
Classification
Prints
Culture & Period
Japan · Edo period (1615–1868)
Department
Asian Art
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
Purchase, Marjorie H. Holden Gift, 2012
Accession Number
2012.248.21
Tags
Art Historical Context
Step into the vibrant world of Edo-period Japan (1615–1868) with Kubo Shunman'sTwo Children by a Wellurb*, a delicate woodblock print created in 1796, the Year of the Dragon. This surimono—a luxurious, privately commissioned print often made for celebrations like New Year's—captures two children poised at a well curb, evoking the simple joys of everyday life. Shunman (1777–1845), a master of ukiyo-e ("pictures of the floating world"), infused his works with poetic elegance, blending fine lines and subtle colors to portray intimate, fleeting moments. Printed with ink and color on paper, the ar...
About the Artist
Kubo Shunman · 1757–1820
Japanese, 1757–1820