Harunobu 1768 V&A.jpg
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Harunobu 1768 V&A, Woodblock print, about 1768, Suzuki Harunobu V&A Museum no. E.1053-1963

Techniques -
Block print on paper

Dimensions -
Height 26 cm (unframed)
Width 19 cm (unframed)

Object Type -
Woodblock prints such as this were produced in large numbers in 18th- and19th-century Japan. They were created by artists, block cutters and printers working independently to the instructions of specialist publishers.This print was published in the 1760s when the techniques of full-colour printing were being perfected. Prints such as this are sometimes called ukiyo-e, which means 'pictures of the floating world'.This world was one of transient delights and changing fashions centred on the licensed pleasure districts and popular theatres found in the major cities of Japan.

Subjects Depicted -
Suzuki Harunobu, the artist of this print, was well known for his portrayals of young lovers. Here we see an intimate scene in an apartment in the Yoshiwara, the licensed brothel district of Edo (modern day Tokyo). It is winter and the bamboo trees outside the window are laden with snow. The plum blossoms that decorate the courtesan's kimono also allude to the season. She sits, with her obi (sash) casually tied at the front, at a kotatsu (brazier) covered with a futon (quilt), reading one end of a long scroll letter. Her lover kneels at her side, keeping warm under the covers, reading the other end of the letter. 

Source:
commons
en
Harunobu 1768 V&A, Prints in the Victoria and Albert Museum, Suzuki Harunobu, Images without source
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ja
春信1768年版・版画1768年頃版・鈴木春信V&A美術館版・E.1053-1963年版 技法-紙本著色技法-高さ26cm、幅19cm(組版されていない) 対象物-18-19世紀の日本において大量に作られた木版画。職人、版画家、版画家、印刷業者が専門の出版社の指示に従って独立して作成した。フルカラー印刷の技術が完成されていた1760年代に出版された。浮世絵と呼ばれることもあり、これは「浮世の絵」という意味である。この世界は、日本各地の遊郭や大衆演劇を中心に、一過性の喜びとファッションの変化の1つであった。画題-鈴木春信、若き恋人の描写で有名。ここでは、江戸の遊郭・吉原のアパートで親しみを感じる。冬で、窓の外の竹は雪でひび割れている。遊女の着物を飾る梅の花も季節を連想させる。長い巻紙の片端を読んで、を前に括って座る。恋人は表紙の下に暖かくとじまい、手紙の反対側を読んでいる。出典:
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ja
春信1768 V&A、ヴィクトリア&アルバート博物館蔵、鈴木春信、出典のない画像
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casual fashion futon woodcutter victoria plum unframed letter-perfect paper cutter