Who painted 梅|Blowing Soap Bubbles Under the Plum Blossom?

梅|Blowing Soap Bubbles Under the Plum Blossom was painted by Suzuki Harunobu in 1748.

Where can I see 梅|Blowing Soap Bubbles Under the Plum Blossom?

梅|Blowing Soap Bubbles Under the Plum Blossom is held by Metropolitan Museum of Art.

What movement is 梅|Blowing Soap Bubbles Under the Plum Blossom?

梅|Blowing Soap Bubbles Under the Plum Blossom is associated with Baroque.

Artwork

梅|Blowing Soap Bubbles Under the Plum Blossom

Suzuki Harunobu , 1748

梅|Blowing Soap Bubbles Under the Plum Blossom is an ink print by the Baroque artist Suzuki Harunobu. It dates from 1748 and is held in the collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art.

About this work

Overview

The scene captures a moment of quiet domestic leisure, characteristic of the ukiyo-e focus on the floating world of urban life and seasonal pleasures.

Blowing Soap Bubbles Under the Plum Blossom is a woodblock print by the Edo-period artist Suzuki Harunobu, created circa 1748. The work depicts a woman and a young boy standing beneath a plum tree in full bloom, engaged in the playful activity of blowing soap bubbles. The composition balances the organic curves of the pink blossoms against the spherical transparency of the bubbles, which Harunobu rendered with delicate gradations of color to suggest their iridescence and fragility. Executed in the nishiki-e (brocade picture) style, this piece utilizes multiple carved blocks to achieve a rich palette of soft pinks, blues, and greens, marking a significant technical advancement in Japanese printmaking. As one of the earliest surviving examples of full-color woodblock printing, the work demonstrates Harunobu's pioneering role in transitioning from the earlier sumizuri-e (monochrome) and benizuri-e (red-accented) methods. The scene captures a moment of quiet domestic leisure, characteristic of the ukiyo-e focus on the floating world of urban life and seasonal pleasures. This print solidified Harunobu's reputation for lyrical elegance and technical innovation, influencing the development of the genre for subsequent generations of artists.

Subject & Meaning

The composition juxtaposes the fleeting nature of the bubbles with the seasonal bloom of the plum, a traditional symbol of transience in Japanese aesthetics. By pairing the playful activity with the blossoms, the image subtly reflects on the ephemerality of beauty and youthful moments.

Technique & Style

Harunazu employed an early nishiki-e process, carving a separate block for each hue and aligning them to achieve a full‑color effect. This multi‑block method allowed for nuanced shading and the soft pink tones of the plum, while the crisp outlines define the figures and the delicate bubbles.

History & Provenance

Created in the mid‑eighteenth century, the print belongs to a period when full‑color woodblock printing was emerging in Japan. It is attributed to Harunazu, a pioneering ukiyo‑e artist, and survives in several museum collections, illustrating the spread of the nishiki-e technique during the Edo era.