The Floating World Takes Shape

Ink Line to Hand Color

Pictures for Edo's townspeople, c. 1680–1764

Single-sheet prints grew out of Edo's illustrated books in the late 1600s and found buyers among the city's townspeople. For most of this period color was added by hand; printed color came only gradually.

• Pictures cheap enough for city buyers to own
• Courtesans and kabuki stars as favorite subjects
• Named designers and the first family studios

Works in this part

• A Parade of Courtesans
• The Entrance to Ageya-machi
• On the Yoshida Highway
• Courtesan Walking
• Kabuki Actor
• Courtesan from the Myōgaya House
• Perspective View of the Interior of the Nakamura Theater
• The Actor Sanogawa Ichimatsu I as Hisamatsu
• Ono no Komachi Washing the Copybook

Image: Art Institute of Chicago open access · CC0