Onoe Kikugorō in the role of Yaoya Oshichi and Nakamura Kiyosaburō as her lover the koshō (page) Kichisaburō

1750

Not on view

The invention of color block printing by the mid-eighteenth century irrevocably transformed the vigorous early ukiyo-e style. The new technique, which used separate blocks for each color, placed greater attention on coordinating the component parts and emphasized the process of color overlays. Masanobu's pioneering efforts in the field of color printing advanced a new aesthetic, one in which the essential quality of the print was dependent on line and color. As the articulation of the early ukiyo-e artist's virtuosic line diminished, a new style featuring graceful and lyrical lines bound to color harmonies emerged.

Artwork Details

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Exhibition History

Title: Onoe Kikugorō in the role of Yaoya Oshichi and Nakamura Kiyosaburō as her lover the koshō (page) Kichisaburō
Artist: Okumura Masanobu (Japanese, 1686–1764)
Period: Edo period (1615–1868)
Date: 1750
Culture: Japan
Medium: Woodblock print; ink and color on paper
Dimensions: 16 x 11 1/4 in. (40.6 x 28.6 cm)
Classification: Prints
Credit Line: The Howard Mansfield Collection, Purchase, Rogers Fund, 1936
Object Number: JP2638
Curatorial Department: Asian Art

More Artwork

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Kabuki Play Kusazuribiki from the Tales of Soga (Soga
monogatari), Okumura Masanobu Japanese, Hanging scroll; ink and color on silk, Japan — Kabuki Play Kusazuribiki from the Tales of Soga (Soga monogatari)
Okumura Masanobu
18th century

Fagot–gatherer Finds Boy with Sparrow, Okumura Masanobu Japanese, Monochrome woodblock print; ink on paper, Japan — Fagot–gatherer Finds Boy with Sparrow
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Woman Pursuing Sparrow, Okumura Masanobu Japanese, Monochrome woodblock print; ink on paper, Japan — Woman Pursuing Sparrow
Okumura Masanobu

Two Figures, Okumura Masanobu Japanese, Woodblock print; ink and color on paper, Japan — Two Figures
Okumura Masanobu

Triptych of Umbrellas, Okumura Masanobu Japanese, Undivided triptych of woodblock prints; ink and color on paper, Japan — Triptych of Umbrellas
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