Young Woman Climbing Stone Stairs to a Shinto Temple
Medium
Woodblock print; ink and color on paper
Dimensions
H. 10 in. (25.4 cm); W. 8 in. (20.3 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
JP1641
Tags
Art Historical Context
Suzuki Harunobu's *Young Woman Climbing Stone Stairs to a Shinto Temple* the graceful poise of everyday life in Edo-period Japan (1615–1868). Created as a woodblock print with ink and color on paper this intimate work measures just 10 by 8 inches, perfect for personal appreciation in the floating world of ukiyo-e. Harunobu, a master of the genre, revolutionized printmaking around 1765 introducing full-color nishiki-e techniques, layering vibrant hues to bring scenes to vivid life. The image depicts a young woman ascending mossy stone stairs toward a Shinto shrine, her kimono flowing elegantly...
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...