Righteousness, from The Five Virtues

1767

From the collection of Cleveland Museum of Art

Dominant colour

Righteousness, from The Five Virtues is a 1767 by Suzuki Harunobu, a Romanticism work, held at Cleveland Museum of Art.

Who painted this?: Suzuki Harunobu
When & what style?: 1767 · Romanticism
Where can I see it?: Cleveland Museum of Art

About this work

Two young men sit close under a single candle, reading a book together. The room is quiet, lit only by the small flame. The book they’re holding is a 1720 drawing manual—like an old how-to guide for artists. The poem at the top says being honest and fair is what makes a person good. It’s part of a series on virtues, but here, Harunobu shows it through everyday life, not grand scenes. Look up *ukiyo-e*—the kind of prints Harunobu made—to see more of these quiet moments.

The story of this work

Overview

Two young male courtesans enjoy reading in their quarters by candlelight. One holds an illustrated book recognizable as the drawing manual Illustrated Book of the Treasure-Bag of Sketches (絵本写宝袋), published in 1720 by Tachibana Morikuni (1679–1748). The poem at the top translates as follows: In all things to be humble, discern the path of reason, and abstain from falsehood. This is what we call righteousness.