Het veer tussen de oevers van de Sumida
Medium
color woodcut
Dimensions
359; 721
Rights
Public Domain
About this artwork
kleurenhoutsnede; lijnblok in zwart met kleurblokken
Art Historical Context
Toyohara Chikanobu *Het veer tussen devers van de Sumida (The Ferry Between the of the Sumida), in 1895, is a striking color woodcut print measuring 359 mm high by 721 mm wide. expansive horizontal format suggests a panoramic view, capturing a serene riverside scene along Tokyo's iconic Sumida River during Japan's Meiji era (1868–1912). Chikanobu, a ukiyo-e artist for his depictions of beautiful women, historical events, and everyday life, masterfully blends traditional Japanese aesthetics with the era's modernizing influences. The Sumida River, a vital waterway in Edo-period Tokyo (now Tokyo), symbolized urban vitality, commerce, and leisure—famed for cherry blossom viewing and fireworks festivals. This print likely evokes that cultural heartbeat, portraying a ferry gliding between bustling shores, a nod to the river's role in daily transport and poetic lore. Produced amid Japan's rapid Westernization, it reflects ukiyo-e's enduring popularity as affordable, mass-produced art for the public. Chikanobu employed the classic woodblock technique: a black key block for precise outlines, overlaid with vibrant color blocks to achieve rich hues and subtle gradients. This labor-intensive process, involving multiple carved blocks and skilled printers, exemplifies ukiyo-e's technical brilliance and accessibility, making high art available to all. A window into late 19th-century Japan, this print invites visitors to ponder the timeless flow of life along the Sumida.
About the Artist
Toyohara Chikanobu · 1838–1912
Toyohara Chikanobu (1838–1912), better known to his contemporaries as Yōshū Chikanobu, was a prolific Japanese woodblock artist whose career bridged the collapse of the Tokugawa shogunate and the modernization of Meiji Japan. Before becoming an artist, Chikanobu fought as a samurai retainer for the Sakakibara clan, participating in the doomed resistance at the Battle of Hakodate where Tokugawa loy...