Antique Japanese Framed Woodblock Print Woman Reading by Suzuki Harunobu c.1900 For Sale

Antique Japanese Framed Woodblock Print Woman Reading a Book by Suzuki Harunobu c.1900Presented is a beautiful Japanese full oban-size woodblock print created by the renowned artist of the Edo period, Suzuki Harunobu (c. 1724?–1770) and reprinted in the early 1900s.The print depicts two women - most likely a lady of the house and her maid - in a typical Japanese room interior with a large lacquer cabinet. One woman is reading a book, and the other one is looking over her shoulder while doing some housework. You can see the details of the interior with the cabinet, tatami floor, boxes with some household stuff, kiseru tobacco pipe with smoking accessories, etc. A lively, beautiful scene of everyday women's life in 18th-century Japan.Harunobu Suzuki was an exceptional ukiyo-e artist during the classical Edo period, though few details about his life are known. He was born around 1724 or 1725, possibly in Kyoto or Edo (modern-day Tokyo), and spent most of his life in Edo. His works, often accompanied by poetic verses, hint at a cultured and possibly bourgeois upbringing, suggesting he moved within intellectual and poetic circles.Suzuki Harunobu's artistic contributions include drawings, paintings, and over 700 color prints. He also illustrated nearly two dozen books. Like many ukiyo-e artists, he created numerous erotic prints known as shunga (springtime pictures). His evolution in multi-color printing is evident in his works. Early prints, dated before 1765, typically featured two or three colors, mainly green and red. From 1766 onwards, his prints displayed up to ten distinct colors, showcasing his advanced techniques.He is considered the first artist to expand ukiyo-e into full color printings (nishiki-e), which was revolutionary at the time.The print was made using the traditional Japanese woodblock technique. It is hard to tell, but I think it is an early 1900s reprint. Harunobu was an artist cherished in Japan, and his works were reprinted even before Europeans became interested in ukiyo-e. The print is signed "Harunobu ga" (painted by Harunobu). There is no publisher seal, but the same print from the Boston Museum of Fine Arts from the 1760s shows the same signature with no publisher seal or other inscriptions. My last picture shows the print from MFA - it's just an example.AUTHOR: Suzuki Harunobu
TITLE: "Two Women by a Laquer Cabinet"
CREATED: c.1760s
PAPER: washi paper
METHOD OF PRINTING: Woodblock printing
PRINTED: c. early 1900s
OVERALL FRAME SIZE: 19.25" by 13.25"
PRINT SIZE: Choban 11" X 8"The condition is excellent. There is some minor toning, no foxing, and no losses. The print is framed in a modern, excellent-quality metal frame with double-matting. The frame is in excellent condition.
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