Untitled

Suzuki Harunobu

1769 or 1770 · Woodblock print; ink and color on paper · Asian Art

In this genre scene, a woman standing on a veranda bends over and dips water to wash her hands. The young boy amuses himself with a toy while his mother prepares herself for a busy day of housework—the mother calm and composed, the child moving about restlessly. With a touch of humor, Harunobu, inventor of the nishiki-e, or multicolor print, placed a monochrome screen painting inscribed with his signature within this polychrome print.

Artist

Suzuki Harunobu

Date

1769 or 1770

Medium

Woodblock print; ink and color on paper

Culture

Japan

Department

Asian Art

Credit line

Purchase, Joseph Pulitzer Bequest, 1918