Viewing Iris in the Rain
1764–70
Medium
Woodblock print; ink and color on paper
Dimensions
H. 10 3/4 in. (27.3 cm); W. 7 13/16 in. (19.8 cm)
Classification
Prints
Culture & Period
Japan · Edo period (1615–1868)
Department
Asian Art
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
H. O. Havemeyer Collection, Bequest of Mrs. H. O. Havemeyer, 1929
Accession Number
JP1649
Tags
Art Historical Context
In the gentle patter of rain, two elegant women pause to admire blooming irises in Suzuki Harobu's *Viewing Iris in the Rain* (ca. 1764–70), a exquisite woodblock print from Japan's Edo period (16151868). Harunobu, a master of ukiyo-e—the "pictures of the floating world" captured fleeting moments of beauty and urban life—was a pioneer in full-color printing, known as *nishiki-e* or "brocade pictures." This intimate scene exemplifies his signature style: delicate bijin-ga (images of beautiful women) rendered with poetic sensitivity, blending human grace with nature's transience. Crafted from i...
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...