Woman on the bridge watching the moon
Medium
Color woodblock print; shikishiban, surimono
Dimensions
20.7 × 18.3 cm (8 3/16 × 7 1/4 in.)
Classification
woodblock print
Department
Arts of Asia
Museum
Art Institute of Chicago
Accession Number
81187
Art Historical Context
In the tranquil glow of a full moon, Katsushika Taito II *Woman on the Bridge Watching the Moon (1831) captures moment of quiet contemplation. This intimate color woodblock print, measuring just 20.7 × 18.3 cm, exemplifies the shikishiban format—a shape ideal for poetry albums—and the luxurious surimono style, privately commissioned for New Year's greetings among Japan's elite during the Edo period (1603–1868). Taito II, a gifted pupil of the master Katsushika Hokusai, infused the ukiyo-e ("pictures of the floating world") tradition with his own poetic sensitivity, blending delicate female fig...