The Gossips

Suzuki Harunobu

An item at Metropolitan Museum of Art

In Harunobu's artistic vision, the interior life is defined by its relationship to the exterior world. In all three Harunobu prints in this exhibition, though the figures are placed suggestively close to the outside, their activities allude to the intimacy of the domestic realm. Indeed, the open screen stands as a metaphor for the harmonious integration of the domestic realm and the natural world. Together with greater naturalism in color, gesture, and posture, Harunobu's polychrome prints complete the transformation in the direction of a new ideal. The characteristic style of the early ukiyo-e print artist, featuring the conventionalized treatment of iconic subjects, has been replaced by the emergence of a new world view founded on naturalism.

Asian Art

An exhibit at Metropolitan Museum of Art

The Met's collection of Asian art—more than 35,000 objects, ranging in date from the third millennium B.C. to the twenty-first century—is one of the largest and most comprehensive in the world. Each of the many civilizations of Asia is represented by outstanding works, providing an unrivaled experience of the artistic traditions of nearly half the world.

Metropolitan Museum of Art