Autumn Moon in the Mirror - Eight Indoor Views

Provenance:
This is a 1970 print from wood blocks, printed by The Japan Association for the 1970 World Exposition for a very limited edition portfolio Selected Masters of Ukiyo-e Prints. This print can also be found in many important collections including the British Museum (London) and the Art Institute of Chicago.
Notes:
The theme of eight view of Lake Biwa (or Omi) became popular in Japanese prints, but in Harunobu's series the eight views were transformed in a fanciful way to adapt them to indoor settings. In this print, the autumn moon is transformed into the mirror, seen at the lower left. Suzuki Harunobu was born in 1725 and grew up in Kyoto, Japan. He studied with the ukiyo-e master Nishikawa Sukenobu. Eventually Harunobu developed an innovative style and played a large role in the development of Nishiki-e, brocade full-colour woodblock printing, and he is considered one of the three or four greatest masters of the Japanese print. Suzuki Harunobu's woodblock prints can be found in many important collections including the British Museum (London), Harvard Art Museums, Metropolitan Museum of Art (New York) and the Victoria and Albert Museum (London).