Girl Riding a Crane (parody of Hi Chobo [Chinese: Fei Zhangfang])

Art Historical Context

Suzuki Harunobu *Girl Riding a Crane (c. 176/67) is a delightful color wood print in the chuban format, measuring a compact 27.5 × 20 cm. Produced during Japan's Edo period, this intimate artwork exemplifies Harunobu's pioneering role ukiyo-e, the "pictures of the floating world" genre that captured fleeting pleasures and beauty. Harunobu was the first artist to commercially produce full-colorishiki-e prints around 1765, revolutionizing woodblock printing with vibrant hues achieved through multiple carved blocks and precise hand-coloring. The title playfully parodies the Chinese legend of Fei Zhangfang (Hi Chobo in Japanese), a Tang dynasty immortal famed for riding cranes as symbols of longevity and transcendence. Here, Harunobu reimagines the myth with a graceful young girl astride a crane, blending Taoist folklore with the whimsical bijin-ga (pictures of beautiful women) style he perfected. This fusion highlights cultural exchange between China and Japan, infusing elite mythology into accessible, everyday art for urban audiences in 18th-century Edo (modern Tokyo). Housed in the Art Institute of Chicago's Arts of Asia department, this chuban print's smaller scale made it affordable and popular, often collected in albums. Harunobu's delicate lines, soft gradients, and luminous colors invite viewers to ponder the joy of imagination, bridging ancient legend with the lively spirit of ukiyo-e innovation.

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...