Harunobu (1725-1770) was a Japanese printmaker. In 1765, he perfected a new technique for making Japanese wood-block prints in many colors. Before then, Japanese artists had made prints in black ink alone, or in black ink with at most two other colors, red and green. Harunobu’s prints, called nishiki-e (brocade pictures), included as many as 10 colors.
Harunobu’s art has been praised for its great refinement and beauty. Most of his wood-block prints portray delicate, doll-like girls in scenes from everyday life. These scenes reflect an atmosphere of serenity and intimacy. The charm of Harunobu’s prints was enhanced by the multicolor printing process. Harunobu’s birthplace is unknown, but he spent most of his life in Edo (now Tokyo).
