Firefly Catching
by Ito Shinsui
- Date:
- July 1931
- Medium:
- Woodblock print, ink and color on paper
- Format:
- Oban
- Dimensions:
- 41.6 × 26 cm
- Publisher:
- Watanabe Shozaburo
by Ito Shinsui
Shinsui's extensive oeuvre spans bijin-ga, landscapes, and genre subjects. Auction averages over 12 months reflect healthy collector demand across all subject types.
A woman chases or catches fireflies in the July 1931 evening, the tiny insects drifting through warm summer darkness as she pursues them—the firefly hunt being a beloved seasonal activity depicted in Japanese art since the Heian period. Shinsui's [bijin-ga](/glossary/bijin-ga) treatment of "Firefly Catching" pairs the delicate sensory experience of summer—warm air, darkness, bioluminescent insects—with the composed feminine presence that defines his beauty prints. The specific July date places the print in the height of firefly season.
Curated cross-cuts that include this print.
Firefly Catching was created by Ito Shinsui (伊東深水) in July 1931.
Firefly Catching was published by Watanabe Shozaburo (July 1931).
Firefly Catching depicts insects and animals.
Firefly Catching measures 41.6 × 26 cm (Oban format).
