Minamoto no Shigeyuki, from an untitled series of Thirty-Six Immortal Poets c. 1767 - 1768

This color woodblock print of Minamoto no Shigeyuki, from a series of Thirty-Six Immortal Poets, was created by Suzuki Harunobu in Japan sometime before 1770. The series revives classical poetic tradition while updating it with contemporary fashions and settings. Here, two women stand on a beach, one with a poem scroll tucked under her arm. They are looking out to sea towards a distant island. The poem inscribed above their heads seems to reference the vastness of the natural world. The setting is not the imperial court of the poets, but the contemporary world of Edo Japan. Harunobu's patrons were part of a rising merchant class that was beginning to challenge the old status hierarchies by claiming access to classical culture. To understand this print, it’s worth exploring the history of Japanese poetry anthologies. The social position of the artist is also relevant. How did the institutions of art making influence the imagery and themes of this series? The art historian’s role is to piece together these different contexts to arrive at a richer understanding of the work.