Figures Prints (1669)
Figure compositions are among the most diverse subjects in Japanese printmaking, encompassing everything from intimate domestic scenes to grand historical narratives. The tradition spans the full history of ukiyo-e, from Moronobu's pioneering single-sheet prints of the 1670s to contemporary figure studies that blend traditional techniques with modern sensibilities. In the ukiyo-e era, figure prints often depicted courtesans, actors, and townspeople of Edo's pleasure quarters, capturing the fashions, gestures, and social dynamics of urban life. The shin-hanga movement brought a more contemplative approach, with artists like Ito Shinsui creating elegant figure studies that emphasized mood and atmosphere over narrative action. Sosaku-hanga artists pursued more experimental figure work, from Onchi Koshiro's abstract portraits to Sekino Jun'ichiro's bold character studies. Figure prints in the Japanese tradition are notable for their attention to textile patterns, body language, and the suggestion of inner life through subtle compositional choices. Whether depicting a single standing figure or a complex multi-figure narrative, these works reveal the printmaker's skill in translating human presence into the woodblock medium.
Artists Known for Figures
Serenade
1753–1806
color woodblock print
Hiroko (Hiratsuka's oldest daughter)
1928
Woodcut print
New Year's Greeting
1931
Woodcut print
Rafu to joyu (Nudes and Actresses)
Woodblock print
Father and daughter
Woodblock print
After the Bath
湯上がり
1930
Color woodblock print
Kimono Underwear
July 1929
Woodblock print
Morning Hair - Asa Negami — 朝寝髪
1931
Woodblock print
Sash
November 1929
Woodblock print, ink and color on paper with mica
Sash- Obi- V1
1929
Woodblock print
Short Hair (Tanpotsu)- Oban
Woodblock print
Carriage Accident, Shôwa period, dated 1975
Woodblock print
#25 Hotaru
Woodblock print
Woman as the Hero Taisō in Palanquin Holding a Pipe
c. 1830
Woodblock print (surimono), ink and color on paper
#14 Katsuenra Genshoshichi
Woodblock print
#52, Tanmeijiro Genshogo fighting General Ko underwater
Woodblock print
#40 Minori - Suzuki Saemon Shigeyuki aiming his Pistol from Ambush at Nobunaga
Woodblock print
Last stand of the Kusunoki Clan at Shijonawate in 1348
Woodblock print
Untitled (shima-seien)
Woodblock print
Hairdresser
1913
Woodcut print
Saint Nichiren
1937
Woodblock print
Page from the book Strange Tales of Matasaburō
1952
Ink on paper
A Nap (Utatane)
1930
Woodblock print
Kuruwa Sayaate
Circa 1954
Woodblock print
Kanjincho
1935
Painting
Long Undergarment (light blue ground, pattern on kimono) (Nagajuban)
July 1929
Woodblock print
Long Underrobe
7/1929
Woodblock print
Napping
February 1933
Woodblock print, ink and color on paper
Richard Kruml
c. 1927–1976
Woodblock print
Bathers
浴女
1915
Color woodblock print
Out for a walk
Woodblock print
Taira no Harutake, Tanbe no Jiju
Woodblock print
#18 Eda Genzo Hirotsuna
Woodblock print
Kotenrai Ryoshin
Woodblock print
Hayano Kampei Tsuneyo
Woodblock print
Madam Lillian
1925
Woodcut print
Maria
Woodblock print
Brothers (5) B
Woodblock print
Various
Not set
Woodblock print
Yoshimura Ijūrō VI’s Memorable Stage Concerts
1941
Woodblock print, ink and color on paper
Kurahashi Zensuke Takeyuki
Woodblock print
Bungorô on Stage
1953
Woodblock print
My Son
Woodblock print
Japanese Art Open Database
1930
Woodblock print
Make-up (At the Mirror) — 化粧
1930
Woodblock print
Musume Dojoji
Not set
Woodblock print
Shuzenji Monogatari
Circa 1954
Woodblock print
Dream
Woodblock print
Woman
1929
Woodblock print
Catching Fireflies in the Evining Cool
Woodblock print
Seichu gishi den
Woodblock print
Nambanesque Behavior
1955
Hand-colored woodblock print mounted as hanging scroll
How to Greet Guests
Woodblock print
Last Stand of Kusunoki Masatsura
Woodblock print
No. 6 - Lipstick - 口紅
1932 1980s)
Woodblock print
Seated Woman
1936
Woodblock print
Conversation- Oban
Woodblock print
Tipsy (Horoyoi)
1932
Color woodblock print
Kashiwade no Hatebe
mid 1830s
Carpenters
Woodblock print
Related Subjects
Frequently Asked Questions
Figure compositions are among the most diverse subjects in Japanese printmaking, encompassing everything from intimate domestic scenes to grand historical narratives. The tradition spans the full history of ukiyo-e, from Moronobu's pioneering single-sheet prints of the 1670s to contemporary figure studies that blend traditional techniques with modern sensibilities.
Tsukioka Yoshitoshi, Ogata Gekko, and Utagawa Kuniyoshi are among the artists most associated with figures in our collection. Browse the full list of artists who explored this subject above.
Hanga currently catalogues 1669 prints tagged with figures, spanning ukiyo-e, shin-hanga, and sōsaku-hanga traditions where applicable.