← Suzuki Harunobu

Parting of Lovers: The Morning After (ca. 1765–70, Met-Objekt 4797)

Original title: Parting of Lovers: The Morning After

Artist

Suzuki Harunobu

Date

ca. 1765–70

Medium

Woodblock print; chuban yoko-e; ink and color on paper

Dimensions

H. 8 in. (20.3 cm); W. 12 5/16 in. (31.3 cm) medium-size print (chu-ban)

Credit line

H. O. Havemeyer Collection, Bequest of Mrs. H. O. Havemeyer, 1929

kurzbeschreibung

Suzuki Harunobu's colour woodblock print "Parting of the Lovers: The Morning After" (c. 1765–70) presents a couple indoors after a night together. Printed as a chuban yoko-e in ink and colour on paper, the sheet belongs to the early years of Japanese full-colour printing.

Description

Two figures in traditional dress anchor the layout: on the left a standing figure in a striped kimono, head lowered; on the right a kneeling one in a kimono with vertical stripes, gaze also cast down. A table with a pot and a plant divides them, and behind it a wooden-framed window with another plant appears. A large, half-transparent cloth drapes over the figures on the right, while a table with a lamp stands at the left. Earth tones — brown, green, beige — dominate, set off by the colours of the kimonos; the light falls evenly from the front.

Context

The period of production falls in the late Edo era, when colour woodblock printing flourished in Japan. Harunobu is regarded as a pioneer of nishiki-e, the multi-colour print that developed from the 1760s onward. The morning parting of lovers was a common ukiyo-e subject and often reflected the intimate atmosphere of the urban pleasure quarters. The chuban yoko-e format suited such close-up scenes.

Impact

A quiet, almost wistful mood hangs over the pair, carried by the muted earth tones and the even light. The horizontal arrangement and clear lines produce a calm, balanced layout that draws the viewer into the still closeness of the moment.

Technique

Several colour blocks were used for the printing, each laying a separate field of colour onto the paper. Multi-colour printing (nishiki-e) allowed the fine tonal gradations and precise lines characteristic of Harunobu's style. Ink and water-based colours were pressed onto the paper, creating the delicate, pastel-like effect.

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Source: Metropolitan Museum of Art · Public Domain (CC0 1.0)