Figures Prints (1744)
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
South Wind
南風
1907
Oil on canvas
Dai ju-damme (Act 10) / Shinpan Ukie Chushingura
Woodblock print
Heroine Toragozen
Woodblock print
Plaything
Woodblock print
Yotsuya kaidan
June 1983
Woodblock print
Sad Whistle — 悲しき口笛
1996
Woodblock print
Untitled (yoshimune-arai)
Woodblock print
Untitled (yoshimune-arai)
Woodblock print
Untitled (yoshimune-arai)
Woodblock print
Women Painting Fans
1790s
Woodblock print (surimono), ink and color on paper
Triptych: Sôgô Watashiba no zu, from the series Chôga Kyoshinkai, Meiji period, dated 1884
Woodblock print
Waiting for the Tide
1930
Woodblock print, ink and color on paper
Ohara-me
Woodblock print
![Untitled [musicians performing Owara-bushi] by Amano Kazumi](https://1.api.artsmia.org/800/135476.jpg)
Untitled [musicians performing Owara-bushi]
late 1950s
Woodblock print, ink on paper
Untitled (hirano-hakuho)
Woodblock print
Woman Kneeling in Shade
c. 1940
Color woodblock print
Rafu
Woodblock print
Untitled (kitano-tsunetomi)
Woodblock print
Yamamura, Toyonari
Woodblock print
A Wayside Scene (Oji)
1801–04
Color woodblock print; oban surimono
Kagami-Jishi
Not set
Woodblock print
Gesture - しぐさ
c. 1980 (this item: First edition)
Woodblock print
Short Sleeve Kimono — 小袖幕
1970
Woodblock print
Arai Yoshimune II
Woodblock print
Tamoto
Not set
Woodblock print
Untitled (yoshimune-arai)
Woodblock print
Parody of the play "Musume Dojoji"
c. 1801/05
Color woodblock print; kokonotsugiri-ban, surimono
Mother West Wind
1921
Color woodcut on laid paper
After Bath
January 1932
Woodblock print, ink and color on paper
Untitled (yamamura-toyonari)
Woodblock print
Face
1964
Woodblock print, ink on paper
Chinese and Tartar Boys Quarreling over a Game of Go
c. 1790
Woodblock print; oban, keyblock proof impression
Haori - はおり
c. 1980 (this item: First edition)
Woodblock print
New Year's Day at Ogi-ya brothel
1811
Color woodblock prints; oban pentaptych
Reflection in a Mirror- Marumage — Marumage (Natsu)
1953
Woodblock print
On the footbridge
n.d.
Color woodblock print; ebangire, surimono
Picnic party
c. 1801/07
Color woodblock print; surimono
#88 Scene from Act VII
c. 1935
Woodblock print
Stone Mason
石工
c. 1940
Color woodblock print
The Pearls (Les Perles)
1950
Color woodblock print
Impression of a Violinist
ヴァイオリニストの印象
1946
Color woodblock print
Umbrella with bulls-eye pattern — 蛇の目
Not set
Woodblock print
Koman
Woodblock print
Untitled (miki-suizan)
Woodblock print
Woman Kneeling Before a Mirror
Woodblock print
Ten Types of Female Nudes: Reading (Rajo jusshu: Dokusho)
Woodblock print
Yamamura Kôka (Toyonari)
Woodblock print
Plaything (Tawamure)
1936
Color woodblock print
Tinkle of the bell
Woodblock print
Lipstick - 口紅
c. 1980 (this item: First edition)
Woodblock print
Akashi-Cho - 明石町
Not set
Woodblock print
Two Pair of Eyes — 二人の瞳
1996
Woodblock print
Lookout on cliff
Woodblock print
Offering Pails of Water
c. 1790
Woodblock print (nishiki-e), ink and color on paper
Untitled (yoshimune-arai)
Woodblock print
Fishermen
1912
Color woodcut
Sisters
1907
Color woodcut
Parody of Kanzan and Jittoku
1942
Color woodblock print
TotalCount
Not dated
Woodblock print
Scene from Act 11
c.1935
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 Torii Kotondo 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 1744 prints tagged with figures, spanning ukiyo-e, shin-hanga, and sōsaku-hanga traditions where applicable.