Narratives of Omission: Cycles of Citation and the Perception of Suzuki Harunobu’s Early Career

Abstract Already in his own time, Suzuki Harunobu’s (c.1725–1770) portrayals of elegant young beauties ( bijinga ) printed in the new polychrome “brocade picture” ( nishiki-e ) technique were lauded by prominent contemporaries like Ōta Nanpo (1749–1823), Shiba Kōkan (1747–1818), and Morishima Chūryō (1756–1810). However, their accounts only convey half the story, as they all omit the first half of Harunobu’s career as an illustrator of limited colour prints ( benizuri-e ) and monochrome books ( ehon ). Considering these sources in a broader context, their purpose in promoting Harunobu’s image from the Edo period to the present becomes apparent. Moreover, tracing how these narratives of omission have been transmitted over the centuries through cycles of citation illuminates not only their enduring negative effect on the perception of Harunobu’s early career but also the systematic marginalisation of his benizuri-e . As a result, false claims made about Harunobu’s pre- nishiki-e publications, which have hindered a deeper understanding of his training as well as the development of the formal and stylistic characteristics so closely associated with his name, can be identified and dispelled.