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
Asian Collection Internet Auction
Woodblock print
Incense Advertising Poster
Woodblock print
Family S
Woodblock print
Woman on Deck
1912
Color woodblock print
Picnic (After a French painting)
Woodblock print
Finished drawing for an early act
c. 1935
Drawing
Uemura, Shoen
Woodblock print
Discussion
Woodblock print
First Love 10
Woodblock print
The Bathers
c. 1910
Color woodblock print
Image No.6 Motherhood (1)
1950
Woodblock print
Chinese Lady
ca. 1912–1914
Woodblock print
Tobari Kogan
1921
Woodblock print
Picture of a Mercantile Establishment in Yokohama, 1861
Woodblock print
Boys and Kites
1912
Color woodcut
Three girls strolling at Arashiyama
Woodblock print
Naoko
1966
Woodblock print, ink on paper
Inner strength
Woodblock print
Arakida
Woodblock print
Print 1
Woodblock print
School is Out
Not set
Woodblock print
Circus- LE
Woodblock print
Cock Fight, Philippines
Woodblock print
Gathering at Atakoyama — 愛宕山集躡の図
Woodblock print
Picture of a Man drawn in Red
Woodblock print
Unknown, Woman Posing
Woodblock print
Unknown, woman and breast
Woodblock print
Coming Home - Kison
Woodblock print
Hunting Fireflies in Cool Breeze
Woodblock print
Woman standing before a mirror
1915
Woodblock print
Inner Motion (Embrace)
1963
Woodblock print, ink and color on paper
Hide and Seek (Kakurenbo)
1954
Color woodblock print
First Love 8 A
Woodblock print
Iwata, Sentaro
Woodblock print
Dockhand
1957
Color woodblock print
White Hat — 白い帽子
Woodblock print
Magic
1957
Color woodblock print; edition 6/50
Untitled (nakao-yoshitaka)
Woodblock print
Woman
1957
Color woodblock print; edition 14/20
Shuho, Yamakawa
Woodblock print
Benaras, Early Morning
1919
Woodblock print
Peshawar
Not set
Woodblock print
Quaker's Meeting
c. 1967
Woodblock print
Quaker Meeting
Woodblock print
Genroku Beaty
Woodblock print
Kitano Tsunetomi
Woodblock print
Ohmi Gallery
Woodblock print
Blue and White
Woodblock print
Sukeroku
Woodblock print
Untitled (kamoshita-choko)
Woodblock print
Acrobats (Karuwaza)
1916
Woodblock print
Man Drawn in Red
Woodblock print
Kaijin
1937
Woodblock print
MANZAI DANCERS
Woodblock print
Calamity, Shôwa period, dated 1960
Woodblock print
Terashima Shimei
Woodblock print
Mask # 4
Woodblock print
In The Mirror (1)
Woodblock print
Kitamura Rokuro as Otsuta in Fukeizu
Not set
Woodblock print
Freak
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.