Women and a Small Boy Gathering Shells on a Beach by the Sea
ca. 1758
Medium
Woodblock print; ink and color on paper
Dimensions
H. 11 1/2 in. (29.2 cm); W. 17 1/8 in. (43.5 cm)
Classification
Prints
Culture & Period
Japan · Edo period (1615–1868)
Department
Asian Art
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
Gift of Estate of Samuel Isham, 1914
Accession Number
JP848
Tags
Art Historical Context
In the serene woodblock print *Women and a Small Boy Shells on a Beach the Sea* (ca. 1758), Ishikawa Toyonobu a tranquil moment of everyday leisure during Japan's Edo period (16151868). Created with ink and color on paper measuring 11½ × 17⅛ inches, this ukiyo-e ("pictures of the floating world") exemplifies the vibrant print culture that flourished in urban centers like Edo (modern Tokyo). Toyonobu, a master of the genre, renders the sun-dappled beach, gentle waves, and figures in harmonious composition, inviting viewers into a world of simple joys. The scene features women and a young boy i...
About the Artist
Ishikawa Toyonobu · 1711–1785
Japanese, 1711–1785