Suzuki Harunobu (1725-1770). The Crow and the Heron, c. 1765. 10-3/4 x 7-3/4 in. (27.3 x 19.7 cm)."Primitives" is the generally accepted English term for Japanese woodblock prints produced between approximately 1660 and 1765. (The later date marks the advent of full-color, multiple -block printing.) The term primitive unfortunately connotes both a naive approach to subjective matter and limited technical expertise--neither is an accurate description of the Japanese prints so designated. The term is best understood as a category comprising the three types of works made before the advent of full-color printing: ink-monochrome elaborated by a very limited, block-produced palette consisting of green, yellow, orange, and rose.

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Suzuki Harunobu (1725-1770). The Crow and the Heron, c. 1765. 10-3/4 x 7-3/4 in. (27.3 x 19.7 cm).

"Primitives" is the generally accepted English term for Japanese woodblock prints produced between approximately 1660 and 1765. (The later date marks the advent of full-color, multiple -block printing.) The term primitive unfortunately connotes both a naive approach to subjective matter and limited technical expertise--neither is an accurate description of the Japanese prints so designated. The term is best understood as a category comprising the three types of works made before the advent of full-color printing: ink-monochrome elaborated by a very limited, block-produced palette consisting of green, yellow, orange, and rose.

Suzuki Harunobu (1725-1770). The Crow and the Heron, c. 1765. 10-3/4 x 7-3/4 in. (27.3 x 19.7 cm).