Parody of Act VII of "The Storehouse of Loyal Retainers (Chushingura)"
c. 1768/69
Medium
Color woodblock print; hashira-e
Dimensions
65.5 × 11.5 cm (25 3/4 × 4 1/2 in.)
Classification
woodblock print
Department
Arts of Asia
Museum
Art Institute of Chicago
Accession Number
22995
Rights
Public Domain
About this artwork
In this parody of Act VII, the artist presents only two players: the courtesan reading the letter by means of a mirror, and a young samurai in Kuranosuke’s place who reads a short letter on a small roll by the light of a hanging lantern.
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...