Who painted 鈴木春信画夜の梅|Woman Admiring Plum Blossoms at Night?

鈴木春信画夜の梅|Woman Admiring Plum Blossoms at Night was painted by Suzuki Harunobu in ca. 1766.

Where can I see 鈴木春信画夜の梅|Woman Admiring Plum Blossoms at Night?

鈴木春信画夜の梅|Woman Admiring Plum Blossoms at Night is held by Metropolitan Museum of Art.

What movement is 鈴木春信画夜の梅|Woman Admiring Plum Blossoms at Night?

鈴木春信画夜の梅|Woman Admiring Plum Blossoms at Night is associated with Romanticism.

Artwork

鈴木春信画夜の梅|Woman Admiring Plum Blossoms at Night

Suzuki Harunobu , 1766

鈴木春信画夜の梅|Woman Admiring Plum Blossoms at Night is an ink print by the Romanticist artist Suzuki Harunobu. It dates from 1766 and is held in the collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art.

About this work

Subject & Meaning

Embossing (karazuri) on the paper heightens the tactile presence of the blossoms and the woman's garment, reinforcing the print's quiet, lyrical mood.

The print depicts a woman standing on a veranda at night, gazing at plum blossoms (Prunus mume) illuminated by a hanging paper lantern (chōchin). Classified as a bijin-ga, or "picture of a beautiful person," the work belongs to the genre of ukiyo-e portraits that idealized feminine elegance.

The composition pairs two core motifs of Japanese visual tradition: the plum blossom, which blooms in late winter and is associated with resilience and the arrival of spring, and the softly glowing lantern, which signals the contemplative stillness of a nighttime encounter. Embossing (karazuri) on the paper heightens the tactile presence of the blossoms and the woman's garment, reinforcing the print's quiet, lyrical mood. Together, these elements frame the scene as a meditative moment in which the figure, the seasonal flower, and the artificial light converge in a single poetic image.

Technique & Style

The work is a nishiki-e woodblock print featuring embossing, executed in ink and color on paper. It portrays a bijin on a night veranda surrounded by Prunus mume blossoms, a lantern, and a chōchin, reflecting typical ukiyo-e portraiture of the late Edo period. The composition emphasizes delicate line work and subtle gradations of color, characteristic of Suzuki Harunobu's style.

History & Provenance

The print was created around 1766 by Suzuki Harunobu as a nishiki-e woodblock work depicting a woman admiring plum blossoms at night, employing embossing and ink on paper. It entered the Metropolitan Museum of Art collection, where it remains held today.

Woman Admiring Plum Blossoms at Night by Suzuki Harunobu is held in the collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art, as recorded in its Wikidata entry. The print, a nishiki-e produced around 1766, is classified within the museum's prints holdings. No specific accession number, acquisition date, or prior provenance details are documented in the available sources, and no exhibition history is recorded.

Legacy

The print established a template for nocturnal bijin-ga that subsequent ukiyo-e artists adapted to explore intimate, introspective moments. Its depiction of a woman observing blossoms under lantern light influenced compositions in shin-hanga that emphasized subtle emotional nuance rather than theatrical drama. Contemporary collectors cite the work as a benchmark for evaluating Harunobu’s mastery of color layering and embossing techniques, contributing to the elevated market valuation of his nocturnal series.

Overview

Created around 1766, this woodblock print by Suzuki Harunobu portrays a woman in a light‑coloured kimono standing beneath a plum tree at night. She holds a paper lantern that illuminates the delicate blossoms, while the background consists of a muted gray that suggests a night sky. The scene captures a quiet, intimate moment in a domestic setting.

Context

Produced within the broader ukiyo‑e tradition, the work illustrates the “floating world” aesthetic that celebrated urban leisure and refined beauty. Its focus on a solitary, contemplative scene aligns with contemporary tastes for intimate genre images that appealed to a growing merchant class.