Who created "Washing the Book"?

Washing the Book was created by Isoda Koryūsai.

What medium is "Washing the Book"?

Washing the Book is Woodblock print; ink and color on paper.

Is "Washing the Book" in the public domain?

Yes, Washing the Book is in the public domain and available for free download under CC0 license.

Washing the Book

Isoda Koryūsai

Medium

Woodblock print; ink and color on paper

Dimensions

H. 10 1/8 in. (25.7 cm); W. 7 9/16 in. (19.2 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

JP1694

Tags

BooksMenWomen

Art Historical Context

Isoda Koryūsai's *Washing the Book* is charming woodblock print from Japan's Edo period (16151868), a time when ukiyo-e—"pictures of the floating world"—ured the vibrant everyday life of urban dwellers in cities like Edo (modern Tokyo). Koryūsai, active the late 18th, was renowned for his delicate depictions of beautiful women (bijin-ga) and genre scenes, blending humor, sensuality, and social observation. This intimate print, measuring just 10⅛ × 7⁹⁄₁₆ inches, exemplifies the medium's accessibility: ink and color on paper, produced through collaborative carving and printing techniques that ma...

About the Artist

Isoda Koryūsai · 1735–1790

Japanese, 1735–ca. 1790

Washing the Book

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