Under a Peach Tree
c. 1766
Medium
Color woodblock print; left sheet of chuban diptych
Dimensions
28 × 20.7 cm (11 × 8 1/8 in.)
Classification
woodblock print
Department
Arts of Asia
Museum
Art Institute of Chicago
Accession Number
20832
Art Historical Context
Suzuki Harunobu's *Under a Peach Tree*c. 1766) is a captivating color woodblock print, left sheet of a ch diptych measuring 28 × 20.7 cm. As one of Japan's pioneering ukiyo-e artists, Harunobu revolutionized printmaking during the Edo period introducing full-color *nishiki-e* ("brocade pictures") 1765. These vibrant works captured the "floating" of urban pleasures in Edo (modern Tokyo), blending delicate beauty with everyday elegance. The chuban format—smaller and more affordable than larger prints—made such art accessible to a wider audience, from merchants to samurai. Harunobu's signature s...
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...