Beginning May 27, we will be closed as part of Oberlin College’s Sustainable Infrastructure Program.
More Photos
Closed Summer 2024
Beginning May 27, we will be closed as part of Oberlin College’s Sustainable Infrastructure Program.
The Allen presents changing exhibitions along with engaging guest speakers and public programs.
Learn MoreThe Allen's collection is particularly strong in 17th century Dutch and Flemish painting, Japanese prints, early modern art, African art, and more.
Learn MoreExplore the full range of museum programs through free events, guided and self-guided tours, and resources for professors and PreK-12 teachers.
Learn MoreResources
Find podcasts, activities, and information for all age groups.
Support for the museum continues our tradition of bringing art to the people.
Learn MoreJanuary 14 - December 6, 2020
In Ripin Gallery
January 14 - December 6, 2020
In Ripin Gallery
Nearly 120 Japanese woodblock prints collected by an intrepid Oberlin alumna from the class of 1889 span the history of the medium. These works—selected from the 200 prints that recently toured three major venues in Japan—feature actors, courtesans, and landscapes favored by denizens of the “Floating World” of 17th- to 19th-century Japan.
The life of Mary Andrews Ainsworth (1867–1950) would be forever changed by a solo voyage to Japan in 1906. A year earlier, Japan’s victory in the Russo-Japanese war was heralded as a symbol of the nation’s rapid industrial development after centuries of isolation. Ainsworth, however, was attracted to an earlier Japan: that of the Edo period (1603–1868). In this more peaceful era, a world of entertainment arose—ephemeral pursuits made even more popular through the wide distribution of the woodblock prints known as ukiyo-e, or “pictures of the floating world.”
The Ainsworth collection represents the history and evolution of Japanese woodblock printmaking, with high-quality examples of the major subjects, styles, and artists of ukiyo-e. Together, the works convey the full richness and complexity of Japan’s print tradition.
Ainsworth bequeathed her collection of more than 1,500 prints to the Allen in 1950. To this day, the works are a mainstay of classes and visitor experiences at the museum. Ukiyo-e Prints from the Mary Ainsworth Collection is the final iteration of a traveling exhibition that was on view in 2019 at three museums in Japan.
Suzuki Harunobu, Katsushika Hokusai, Utagawa Kuniyoshi, Utagawa Hiroshige I, Torii Kiyomitsu, Torii Kiyonaga, Utagawa Tokokuni I, Chobunsai Eishi, Kitagawa Utamaro, Utagawa Kunimasa
Joan L. Danforth Curator of Asian Art
Chiba City Museum of Art
Chiba City Museum of Art
Shizuoka City Museum of Art
Weikado Bunko Art Museum
Osaka City Museum of Fine Arts
Osaka City Museum of Fine Art
Mangosteen, Inc.
'20, AMAM curatorial assistant in Asian art education.
February 6, 2020 at 5:30 p.m.
Some of the museum’s most important Japanese woodblock prints are featured in a current exhibition that recently traveled to...
October 2, 2020 at 3:00 p.m.
Japanese ukiyo-e woodblock prints of the 17th to the 19th centuries are usually associated with one person, print designers like H...
October 1, 2020 at 3:00 p.m.
Japanese ukiyo-e woodblock prints are among the world's most popular and recognized art forms, and have delighted viewers both ins...
Take a 3D tour
Explore the galleries online for 3D views of artworks, labels, and related content.
Newsletter
Sign up for our e-newsletter to get information about our free events and latest exhibitions.
Join & Support
Your support makes a difference. Become a museum member, donor, or volunteer.