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
A Tacit Agreement
1958
Color woodblock print
Red Reverse: Osamu Sleeping
Woodblock print
Return of the Prodigal Son
Woodblock print
Shibaraku
Woodblock print
Weavers
Woodblock print
Jihei
Woodblock print
![Title unknown [Michiyuki] by Takehisa Yumeji](https://1.api.artsmia.org/800/132723.jpg)
Title unknown [Michiyuki]
1910s–1930s
Woodblock print, ink and color on paper
Painter of the Wind- Nakajima Kiyoshi's World - 風の画家 〔中島潔の世界〕展 〜日本のこころ、故郷のこころ〜
Woodblock print
Les Jades Chinois
1941
Woodblock print
Chapter 6 - Suetsumuhana
Woodblock print
Mistletoe
Woodblock print
(Bunmei Kaika Orai)
Woodblock print
Miss Sunshine
4/250, 2007
Woodblock print
Frontispiece of a novel, from
Woodblock print
Kajita Hanko
Woodblock print
Explorers
Woodblock print
I thought I could fly
Inkjet/pigment print
Two Warriors Fighting
Woodblock print
Yakko
Woodblock print
Aspirations (Kibo)
Woodblock print
Picnic
mid 20th century
Woodblock print, ink on paper
Pose (13) B
Woodblock print
Joruri Singer
1936
Drawing
Jeune Fille De Polowat. Est Carolines
1948
Woodblock print
La Statuette Thang, Mandchoukuo
1956
Woodblock print
Red
1934
Woodblock print
The Star of the Gobi, Mongolia 51/350
1951
Woodblock print
Akashi
Woodblock print
Chapter 36 - Kashiwagi - 柏木
Woodblock print
Chapter 35 - Young Fresh Greens 2 - 若菜下
Woodblock print
Print 36 - Kashiwagi - 柏木
Woodblock print
Dutch Woman
Woodblock print
For Japan
1958
Woodblock print, ink and color on paper
Megumi-Ichiban
5/119, 2003
Woodblock print
Only a Little Hope
1956
Color woodblock print
Mon & Tosamurai
1957
![Title unknown [Young couple looking into a well] by Takehisa Yumeji](https://1.api.artsmia.org/800/132729.jpg)
Title unknown [Young couple looking into a well]
1910s–1930s
Woodblock print, ink and color on paper
La Mariée, Seoul, Corée
1948
L'Attente
1947
Woodblock print
Chapter 13 - Akashi
Woodblock print
Chapter 51 - Ukifune
Woodblock print
Bath
Woodblock print
Baseball Tournament
Woodblock print
Fishing
Woodblock print
Welcome
Woodblock print
Profile A
Woodblock print
Paper Crown
Woodcut, water-based ink
X (Alice)
Woodcut, water-based ink
Funny boating
Etching
Gentle Breeze- LE
Woodblock print
Kwannon, LE
Woodblock print
Three Eyes- oban
Woodblock print
Young Lady and Seashell
Woodblock print
White Robe 3/30
1956
Woodblock print
Kanjincho
Woodblock print
Just a Moment (Shibaraku)
1977
Woodblock print?; edition 5/50
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Woodblock print
Shibaraku, Shôwa period, dated 1965
Woodblock print
To The Morning Light - 朝の光へ
Woodblock print
Bergers des Hautes Montagnes - Coree...
April 20, 1941
Woodblock print, ink and color on paper
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.