Actor with Flute

While often considered the father of the polychrome print, or nishiki-e, Harunobu was also a master of the “pillar print” format, or hashira-e, which was a tall narrow print designed to decorate pillars in Japanese homes. The pillar prints commonly depicted children and their mothers engaging in an array of tasks.

In Actor with Flute, Harunobu portrays an actor peacefully playing the flute. Consistent with the style of the pillar print, the background lacks activity, centering the scene’s focus on the actor.