Flirtation under the Cherry Tree

Art Historical Context

**Flirtation under the Cherry Tree** is a captivating woodblock print by Sug Jihei, created around 1684–98 during Japan's Edo period. This o-oban sized work (24.5 × 36.9 cm) captures a tender romantic moment beneath blooming cherry trees, evoking the fleeting beauty of spring. Sugimura, a prominent early ukiyo-e artist and follower of master Hishikawa Moron, specialized in depicting the "floating world" of everyday pleasures, courtesans, and urban life in Edo (modern Tokyo). Rendered in sumizuri-e—a pioneering monochromatic technique using only black ink and subtle gradations—this print showc...