Suzuki Harunobu

One of the earliest masters of nishiki-e, Suzuki Harunobu was a Japanese ukiyo-e painter and printmaker known for this unique style of full color printing that became an essential element of Japanese ukiyo-e. Though initially recognized for his prints featuring actors, Harunobu became acclaimed for his prints of young women and courtesans like A Young Woman in a Summer Shower (1765) that conveyed the elegance and delicateness of femininity with sumptuous color and refined detail. His subject matter included erotic imagery, everyday life in Edo, Chinese and Japanese poetry, and conveyed entertaining connotations that interested the cognoscenti in Japan. His work is in museum collections including the Portland Art Museum, the Metropolitan Museum of Art, and the Art Institute of Chicago.