Suzuki Harunobu

Harunobu used many special techniques, and depicted a wide variety of subjects, from classical poems to contemporary beauties.

Harunobu's grandfather Shigemitsu and father Shigekazu were stripped of their hatamoto status when they were found to be involved in financing of gambling and other activities; they were exiled from Edo and relocated to Kyoto.

[1] Harunobu began his career in the style of the Torii school, creating many works which, while skillful, were not innovative and did not stand out.

In 1764, as a result of his social connections, he was chosen to aid these samurai in their amateur efforts to create e-goyomi [ja].

The new technique depended on using notches and wedges to hold the paper in place and keep the successive color printings in register.

Richard Lane describes this as "Harunobu's special province, one in which he surpassed all other Japanese artists - eternal girlhood in unusual and poetic settings".

His subjects are not restricted to geisha, courtesans, actors, and sumo wrestlers, but include street vendors, errand boys, and others who help to fill in the gaps in describing the culture of this time.

His work is rich in literary allusion, and he often quotes Japanese classical poetry, but the accompanying illustrations often gently poke fun at the subject.

Harunobu's work is held in several museums worldwide, including: Harunobu's works have been featured three times in commemorative postage stamps issued by the Japanese post office: His works have also been depicted in topical stamps from Ajman, Antigua and Barbuda, Dominica, Fujeira, Gambia, Guyana, Hungary, Kathiri State of Seiyun, Liberia, Mahra State, the Federated States of Micronesia, Paraguay, St Vincent, Sharjah, Sierra Leone, Turks and Caicos, United Nations Vienna, Vietnam and Yemen.