Suzuki Harunobu could be considered the first great master of Ukiyoe. His were the first designs reproduced in full color as nishiki-e, or “brocade pictures,” and it seems he was far more involved in the actual production of his prints than many of his peers; he is believed to have figured out, for example, techniques to ensure proper registration of the color blocks. But it was his designs themselves that gave him fame that has lasted through the centuries.

His women with their simply drawn oval faces had an ethereal and child-like quality, while his children themselves seemed to posses a mature wisdom. His interior and exterior settings completed the picture of a vanished and dream-like world, calm prevailing always.

His prints tell stories as they depict the leisurely customs and entertainments of the day. Like many other Ukiyoe masters, he made at least a portion of his living designing erotic prints, or shunga. Harunobu was born in 1725. His earliest designs were made when he was in his 30s. He is believed to have died in 1770.