Landscape: two of the four seasons; autumn and winter

About this artwork

To 1906

Art Historical Context

Hishikawa Sori “Landscape: two of the four seasons; autumn winter” captures the quiet transition between seasons in a refined uyo-e style. Created during Japan’s Edo period (161–1868), the reflects the era’s growing interest in nature as both a visual subject and a poetic symbol. Ukiyo-e artists often explored the four seasons to evoke the passage of time, and Sori’s pairing of autumn’s fading colors with winter’s stillness invites viewers to contemplate change and impermanence. As a painting rather than a print, the work demonstrates the versatility of ukiyo-e artists who worked across media. The mountainous landscape and seasonal motifs align with the movement’s broader appeal to townspeople and collectors seeking elegant yet accessible imagery. Gifted to the Smithsonian by Charles Lang Freer, the piece entered the American collection by 1906, helping introduce Japanese art to Western audiences at a time when interest in ukiyo-e was rapidly growing. This seasonal diptych remains a graceful example of how Edo-period artists blended observation of nature with cultural themes of transience, offering today’s visitors a window into both Japanese aesthetics and the global appreciation of ukiyo-e.