Washing Cloth in a Stream
c. 1768/69
Medium
Color woodblock print; chuban
Dimensions
27.4 × 20.4 cm (10 3/4 × 8 in.)
Classification
woodblock print
Department
Arts of Asia
Museum
Art Institute of Chicago
Accession Number
20836
Art Historical Context
Suzuki Harunobu's *Washing Cloth in a Stream*c. 1768/69) is a delicate color woodblock print in the chuban format, measuring 27.4 × 20.4 cm. Housed in the Art Institute of Chicago Arts of Asia department, work exemplifies the ukiyo-e tradition—"pictures of the floating world"—that captured the fleeting pleasures of everyday life in Edo-period Japan (1603–1868). Harunobu, a of bijin-ga (images of beautiful women), pioneered full-color nishiki-e prints around 1765, revolutionizing woodblock printing by layering vibrant hues through multiple carved blocks. The scene likely portrays graceful wome...
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...