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
Two Clowns
1965
Woodblock print, ink and color on paper
Robyn Buntin of Honolulu
Woodblock print
Maiden Blush
Woodblock print
Dream- oban
Woodblock print
![[abstracted man holding object] by Nakao Yoshitaka](https://1.api.artsmia.org/800/135965.jpg)
[abstracted man holding object]
1957
Woodblock print, ink and color on paper
Gathering Stones
c. 1982–1984
Color woodblock print
Urushibara Mokuchu_
Woodblock print
Two Women
Woodblock print
Before the Mirror
鏡の前
1911
Color woodblock print
Hara Shobō
1920
Woodblock print
Two Female Bathers, One Kneeling and Giving Herself a Pedicure, One Seated and Looking at Her Reflection in a Mirror, Taishô period, dated 1918 (7th month of Taishô 9)
Taishô period, 1912-1926
Woodblock print
Woman Drying Her Hair
髪を乾かす女
1920
Color woodblock print
Woman Kneeling in the Bath and Combing Her Hair
1920
Woodblock print
Untitled (fujiki-kikumaro)
Woodblock print
Harvard Art Museum
Woodblock print
July, after the bath — Shichigatsu Yuagari
Woodblock print
Ohmi Gallery
Woodblock print
Cooper
桶屋
c. 1940
Color woodblock print
Court lady reading letter
Late Meiji Period (1886-1912)
Woodblock print
TotalCount
1953
Woodblock print
A Lady in Under Kimono
Woodblock print
Hair (Kami), Shôwa period, dated 1953
Woodblock print
Hand Mirror
January 1931
Woodblock print, ink and color on paper with mica
Collection of Shunsen Portraits: Sawamura Gennosuke IV as Nikki Danjo (Shunsen Nigao-e Shu: Sawamura Gennosuke IV)
Woodblock print
Woman Applying Makeup
1918 (Taishō 7)
Woodblock print; ink, color, gold, and mica on paper
Long Undergarment
長襦袢
1921
Color woodblock print
Woman taking a catnap
description
Woodblock print
Kimono Pattern
着物の柄
1930
Color woodblock print
Hanging Hair
髪梳き
1929
Color woodblock print
Combing
October 1929
Woodblock print
Rouge (Beni)
1929
Woodblock print
Utatane- A nap- Version 2 — うたっ寝
1933
Woodblock print
A competition among powerful magicians
Woodblock print
Taiheiki Eiyu den
Woodblock print
Ensei
c. 1828–30
Woodblock print (surimono), ink and color on paper
Ishikawa Sosuke Sadatomo
Woodblock print
Harvest
Woodblock print
After a Bath (Yugaeri)
1933
Woodblock print
Sit down (5)
Woodblock print
Long Undergarments
July 1929
Woodblock print
Moral Instruction — 国史美談教訓画蒐
Not set
Woodblock print
Nap 52/100
1930
Woodblock print
Oribe Yasubei Taketsune
Woodblock print
Collection of Things with Names That End with Men
c. 1830–44
Woodblock print (nishiki-e), ink and color on paper
#34 Wakana
Woodblock print
![Gen Shogo [Ruan Xiaowu]; Five-sheet print of Collecting Brine, no. 5 by Utagawa Kuniyoshi](https://1.api.artsmia.org/800/82218.jpg)
Gen Shogo [Ruan Xiaowu]; Five-sheet print of Collecting Brine, no. 5
c. 1828–30
Woodblock print (surimono), ink and color on paper
(Kagamiyama) zori-hachi no dan
Woodblock print
New Yoshiwara (Shin Yoshiwara), from the series Famous Places in the Eastern Capital
early 1830s
color woodblock print
Tarozuki
Woodblock print
Untitled (yuji-hiratsuka)
Woodblock print
Doctor in Harlem
1960
Woodblock print
Wake Up - 2 (B)
Woodblock print
Lipstick - 口紅
1932
Woodblock print
In Front of Mirror
鏡の前
1930
Color woodblock print
Makeup
化粧
1929
Color woodblock print
Two Exiles
Woodblock print
Sash- Obi- V2
1929
Woodblock print
Nippori Hotei / Toto Shichi-fuku-juku
Woodblock print
A Tricky Fellow Fond of Mischief
Woodblock print
Hayano Wasuke Tsunenari
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.