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
Picnic
1897
Woodblock print
Artemis (27/50)
Woodblock print
Woman and Attendant (descriptive title)
1897
Woodblock print
Haumea (38/100)
Woodblock print
Net of Compassion (67/100)
Woodblock print
Ebisu (29/40)
Woodblock print
Woman Calendar Big, September Afternoon (27/50)
Woodblock print
Victorian Invention, An Aerial Cycle (26/50)
Woodblock print
Victorian Invention, The Pedspeed (AP)
Woodblock print
Fashionable Courageous Flowers
1860, 2nd lunar month
Woodblock print (nishiki-e), ink and color on paper
Untitled, scene of the other world, No. 4 from
Woodblock print
Pleasures of the Four Seasons: Colors and Scents of Flowers, left (Shiki no asobi hana no iroka, ge)
c. 1783
Color woodblock print; left sheet of oban diptych
triptych print
Woodblock print
Face No. 5
1991
Woodblock print, ink and color on paper
Glaukos, Shôwa period, dated 1965?
Woodblock print
Lady No. 9
1975
Woodblock print, ink and color on paper
Medusa (Medyusa)
Woodblock print
Candlelight (Rosoku no akari)
Woodblock print
Quiet Couple- oban
Woodblock print
Shibaraku: Just a Morment
Woodblock print
Fukudako (25/66)
Woodblock print
Chagrin d'Amour, Kusaie, Est Carolines
c. 1934–1960
Woodblock print
Vielle Aino, Chikabumi, Hokkaido, Japon 53/350
1950
Woodblock print
TotalCount
1937
Woodblock print
The Embrace
Not set
Woodblock print
,{
Woodblock print
Circus No. 6
1968
Woodblock print, ink and color on paper with mica
December — 其十二 ゆき見
1898
Woodblock print
Lingering Dreams (Yume no ato)
Woodblock print
Lightning (Inazuma)
Woodblock print
Clown Acrobat, Shôwa period, dated 1960
Woodblock print
Goro, Shôwa period, dated 1974
Woodblock print
Rouge
Woodblock print
Good Red Peppers! Jo-Hokuri, Korea
January 1954
Woodblock print
Fumées de Santal - Mandchoukuo
December 25, 1948
Woodblock print, ink and color on paper
La Peche Miraculeuse. Izu, Japon (The Miraculous Catch. Izu, Japan)
1939
Woodblock print
Une Jeune Fille De Fidji, Oceanie
1935
Woodblock print
Paul Binnie (Binnie, Paul)
Woodblock print
Steam (Yuge)
Woodblock print
Harmony- oban
Woodblock print
Dream- oban
Woodblock print
Red and White Shishi Dancers
Woodblock print
Intimacy Red and Black
Woodblock print
Ohara-me
Woodblock print
Untitled (hiyoshi-mamoru)
Woodblock print
Bergers des Hautes Montagnes
April 20, 1941 (Showa)
Woodblock print
Femme Tatouee de Falalap, Oest Carolines
1935
Woodblock print
Le Bossu. Otaru, Hokkaido
1952
Woodblock print
The Star of the Gobi, Mongolia 54/350
1951
Woodblock print
Retour de la Jungle, Tondao: Celebes
1948
Woodblock print
Aoi
Woodblock print
Chapter 44 - Takekawa
Woodblock print
Chapter 39- Yugiri - 夕霧
Woodblock print
Yugiri
Woodblock print
Agricultural scene
Woodblock print
Letter
Woodblock print
A frontispiece of a novel, 1904
Woodblock print
Face
Woodblock print
To Tell the Truth
Woodblock print
Ebicha Hakama — 海老茶袴
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.