Bird on maple branch
1830s–1840s
Medium
Color woodblock print; yotsugiriban
Dimensions
18.4 × 12.2 cm (7 1/4 × 4 13/16 in.)
Classification
woodblock print
Department
Arts of Asia
Museum
Art Institute of Chicago
Accession Number
88525
Art Historical Context
Nestled among the Arts of Asia at the Art Institute of Chicago, *Bird on a Maple Branch* is a charming color woodblock print by Utagawa Hiroshige one of Japan's most celebrated ukiyo-e masters Created in the 183s–1840s during the Edo period, this intimate yotsugiriban-format work measures just 18.4 × 12.2 cm, making it perfectly suited for personal collections or seasonal greetings like surimono prints. Hiroshige, renowned for his poetic landscapes such as *The Fifty-three Stations of the Tōkaidō*, here turns his gaze to nature's quiet elegance—a solitary bird perched on crimson autumn maple l...
About the Artist
Utagawa Hiroshige · 1826–1869
Utagawa Hiroshige (1797–1858), born Andō Tokutarō, was the last great master of Japanese ukiyo-e woodblock printmaking and one of the most influential landscape artists in history. Born in Edo (modern Tokyo) into a low-ranking samurai family serving as fire wardens, Hiroshige transformed landscape printmaking into a poetic meditation on nature, weather, and everyday life. His revolutionary approac...