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
Love Letter (First Love)
Woodblock print
The Kiss
Not set
Woodblock print
Hair - 髪
circa 1970s (this item: First edition)
Woodblock print
Takasawa Keiichi Painting Collection - 高沢圭一画集
1977
Woodblock print
Takasawa Keiichi Painting Collection - 高沢圭一画集
1984
Woodblock print
Lament — 愁
1980
Woodblock print
Meiji Beauty No. 3
Mixed media collage on washi (fabric, paper, gesso, found objects)
Anthony
Mokuhanga from 15 cherry plywood blocks on washi
Sarah
Mokuhanga from 19 cherry blocks on washi
Rod
Mokuhanga from 16 cherry blocks on washi
Linda
Mokuhanga from 4 blocks on washi
Dad
Mokuhanga from 4 blocks on washi
Madz
Mokuhanga from 4 blocks on washi
Red Me
Mokuhanga from 2 blocks on washi
Jessica
Mokuhanga from 4 blocks on washi
Lucy
Mokuhanga from 4 blocks on washi
Danielle
Mokuhanga from 4 blocks on Ichibei-san washi
Pat
4-color relief print from 1,444 acrylic blocks
Mexico
Not set
Woodblock print
No 2
Not set
Woodblock print
Wife and Lamp — 夫人とランプ
circa 1970-1990
Woodblock print
Le Dejeuner
Linogravure on washi
Backstroke
Woodcut, water-based ink, baren technique on washi
Reach
Etching on washi
Montmartre
1974
Woodblock print
Woman and Snowflakes
Not set
Woodblock print
Takasawa Keiichi
circa 1970s (this item: First edition)
Woodblock print
Young Woman Dressing
Not set
Woodblock print
a Philosopher
Woodblock print
A Saint- B
Woodblock print
Woman Burning Incense - 香を焚く女
circa 1970s (this item: First edition)
Woodblock print
Woman and Woman- oil painting — 女と女
Not set
Woodblock print
No Series Koibumi Love Letter
Woodblock print
No Series Kazemoyou
Woodblock print
Kazemoyou — 風もよう
Woodblock print
Untitled (kiyoshi-nakajima)
Woodblock print
Untitled (kiyoshi-nakajima)
Woodblock print
Wind Patterns - 風もよう
Woodblock print
A Visitor — 客人
Not set
Woodblock print
Drawing Tansai- sumi and light water color painting
1897
Woodblock print
July — 其七 海水浴
1898
Woodblock print
Kimono — 着物
1898
Woodblock print
Tanjaku- Poetry Card — 短冊
Not set
Woodblock print
Kannonkyo II (37/66)
Woodblock print
Robyn Buntin of Honolulu
Woodblock print
Katsushika Hokusai
Woodblock print
Untitled
1865-1875
Untitled (paul-binnie)
Woodblock print
Yosooi of the Matsubaya, from the series Selections from Six Houses in Yoshiwara (Seiro rokkasen) (Matsubaya Yosooi)
c. 1801/02
Color woodblock print; oban
No 36, Goyu Honno-ga-hara / Gojusan-tsugi Meisho Zue
Woodblock print
Yakushi Nyorai (God of Medicine)
1937
Woodblock print
![Bakchos [=Bacchus] (Bakkasu) by Hideo Hagiwara](https://data.ukiyo-e.org/mfa/images/sc206641.jpg)
Bakchos [=Bacchus] (Bakkasu)
Woodblock print
Phaethon, Shôwa period, dated 1965?
Woodblock print
Umbrella
Woodblock print
Misty Dream — 夢がすみ
Woodblock print
Thoughts of the Wind - 風の想い
Woodblock print
Untitled (kiyoshi-nakajima)
Woodblock print
Untitled (kiyoshi-nakajima)
Woodblock print
Ladies and Birds
Woodblock print
Childrens game
1896
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.