Combing His Hair
1770
Medium
Woodblock print; ink and color on paper
Dimensions
H. 11 1/8 in. (28.3 cm); W. 8 1/8 in. (20.6 cm)
Classification
Prints
Culture & Period
Japan · Edo period (1615–1868)
Department
Asian Art
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
Rogers Fund, 1921
Accession Number
JP1219
Tags
Art Historical Context
Suzuki Harunobu's *Combing His Hair* (1770) is a delicate woodblock print from Japan's Edo period (16151868), capturing the essence of ukiyo-e, the "floating world" genre that celebrated everyday pleasures, beauty, and urban life in Edo (modern Tokyo). Harunobu, a master of this style, pioneered full-color nishiki-e prints around 1765, revolutionizing Japanese printmaking with vibrant inks layered on paper. This intimate scene, measuring just 11⅛ × 8⅛ inches, likely depicts a tender moment of grooming amid figures with musical instruments, evoking the refined world of courtesans, artisans, and...
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...