Set of Three Hanging Scrolls, Day Dream Plays (Kakemono sampukutsui utsusu no asobi)

Art Historical Context

In the vibrant world of 18th-century Edo Japan, Nishimura Shigenaga's *Set of Three Hanging Scrolls, Day Dream PlaysKakemono sampukutsui utsusu noobi)*, created around 1755, captures the playful essence of ukiyo-e—the "pictures of the floating world" that celebrated fleeting pleasures. Shigenaga, a skilled printmaker known for his depictions of beautiful women (bijin-ga) anduki actors, crafted this uncut hosoban tript as a set mimicking traditional hanging scrolls (kakemono). Its compact size (29 × 25.7 cm) made it intimate and affordable for urban collectors savoring dreamlike scenes of leisure and fantasy. This benizuri-e, or "rose-colored print," showcases an innovative early color technique using just red pigment layered over black-and-white lines and subtle blues—a bridge between monochrome prints and the later full-color nishiki-e masterpieces. The uncut state preserves all three narrow hosoban sheets together, a rarity that highlights the print's original design as a cohesive trio, evoking shadow plays (*utsusu no asobi*) where figures dance in illusory light. Housed in the Art Institute of Chicago's Arts of Asia collection, this work reflects the Edo period's cultural boom, when woodblock prints democratized art amid rising merchant wealth and theater obsession. It's a delightful window into Japan's whimsical artistry, blending technical ingenuity with imaginative joy.

About the Artist

Nishimura Shigenaga · 1690–1758

Nishimura Shigenaga (c. 1697–1756) was a pioneering Japanese ukiyo-e printmaker born in Edo (modern-day Tokyo), where he initially worked as a landlord in the Tōriabura-chō district before relocating to Kanda-Sakumachō to operate a bookshop. Self-taught with no known formal teacher, he immersed himself in art around 1719, drawing early inspiration from the Torii school's yakusha-e (actor portraits...