Young Couple Enjoying the Cool of Evening
c. 1771/72
Medium
Color woodblock print; chuban
Dimensions
27.4 × 21.1 cm (10 3/4 × 8 5/16 in.)
Classification
woodblock print
Department
Arts of Asia
Museum
Art Institute of Chicago
Accession Number
109393
Art Historical Context
In the tranquil scene of *Young Couple Enjoying the Cool of Evening*, created around 1771/72 by Japanese artist Shiba Kokan, a intimate moment unfolds against the fading light of day. This color woodblock print, in the compact chuban format (27.4 × 21.1 cm), captures the essence of everyday romance during Japan's Edo period (1603–1868). Shiba Kokan, a versatile printmaker and painter known for blending traditional ukiyo-e aesthetics with emerging Western influences, crafted this work amid a booming urban culture in Edo (modern Tokyo). Ukiyo-e, or "pictures of the floating world," celebrated f...