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
Hara Shobō
Woodblock print
Woman after the Bath (Yokugo no onna)
1920
Woodblock print
Various
Not set
Woodblock print
Woman Applying Makeup- Kesho no Onna — 化粧の女
1918
Woodblock print
Woman Filling Basin at the Sink
1920 (Taishō 9), 7th month
Woodblock print; ink, color and mica on paper
Prisoners' Round
Woodblock print
Woman Cutting Her Toenails
1953
Woodblock print, ink on paper
Day Dream (Mahiru no yume)
1952
Color woodblock print
Woman Preparing to Bathe, Her Image Reflected in the Water, Taishô period, dated 1918 (8th month of Taishô 9)
Taishô period, 1912-1926
Woodblock print
Umbrellas
1915
Woodblock print, ink and color on paper
Three Masks (Kamen 3)
1957
Color woodblock print
Faces (5people)
Woodblock print
Matsumoto Koshiro VII as Kenkei in Kanjincho
1954
Woodblock print
Attention Sweet Words
Woodblock print
Various artists
Woodblock print
July, After a Bath
Woodblock print
Untitled (hodo-nishimura)
Woodblock print
Woman and Lute
Woodblock print
After bath- Yokugo — Yokugo
Woodblock print
May — 其五藤見
1898
Woodblock print
Two Dancers
Woodblock print
Two Women After Bath
designed: 1920 (Taishō 9), July; printed: c. 1950 (Shōwa 25)
Woodblock print; ink and mica on paper
Ohta Masamitsu (Ota)
1954
Woodblock print
Hirano Hakuho_
Woodblock print
Tayu B (4/40)
Woodblock print
Paul Binnie
Woodblock print
Urushibara
Woodblock print
Japanese Art Open Database
Woodblock print
Jinbo Tomoyo
Woodblock print
Windy day, umbrella
Woodblock print
No. 20 (1)
Woodblock print
Woman Dressing (posthumous edition circa 1922?), Taishô period, circa 1919-1922
Taishô period, 1912-1926
Woodblock print
After the Bath
湯上がり
1917
Color woodblock print
Woman Powdering Her Neck
1918 (Taishō 7)
Woodblock print; ink, color, and mica on paper
Applying Powder
Summer 1930
Woodblock print, ink and color on paper with mica
Lip Rouge
January 1932
Woodblock print, ink and color on paper with mica
Alone
1958
Woodblock print, ink and color on paper
Kinoshita, Tomio (b. 1923)
Woodblock print
Before the Mirror (Kagami no mae)
Woodblock print
TotalCount
1949
Woodblock print
Untitled (fujiki-kikumaro)
Woodblock print
O Yuki
1905
Color woodcut
Black Neckband
Spring 1928
Woodblock print, ink and color on paper with mica
No Series Lady In Heian Court Litho
Woodblock print
Akutagawa
c. 1801/06
Color woodblock print; kokonotsugiri-ban, surimono
TotalCount
1920
Woodblock print
Woman preparing to wash her face
1920
Woodblock print
Face
1970
Woodblock print, ink and color on paper
Matsumoto Koshiro VIII as Matsuomaru
Not set
Woodblock print
Fujiki Kikumaro
Woodblock print
Ota Masamitsu
1955
Woodblock print
Kamoshita, Choko
Woodblock print
Yanone II (ed. 4/20)
Woodblock print
Bonbon Clock
Woodblock print
Utagawa Kuniyoshi
Woodblock print
Woman Applying Powder
化粧の女
1918
Color woodblock print
Woman Dressing
1920
Woodblock print
Woman Seated on a Pillow Before a Low Dressing Table, Taishô period, dated 1918 (7th month of Taishô 9)
Taishô period, 1912-1926
Woodblock print
Woman Powdering, Taishô period, dated 1918
Taishô period, 1912-1926
Woodblock print
Masks #4
1958
Woodblock print, ink 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.