Suijin Shrine and Massaki on the Sumida River (Sumidagawa Suijin no mori Massaki), from the series "One Hundred Famous Views of Edo (Meisho Edo hyakkei)"
Medium
Color woodblock print; oban
Dimensions
33.4 × 22 cm (13 1/8 × 8 11/16 in.)
Classification
woodblock print
Department
Arts of Asia
Museum
Art Institute of Chicago
Accession Number
26581
Rights
Public Domain
About this artwork
In this well-known image of cherry blossoms in spring, people make their way to a ferry (out of view at left) to ride across the Sumida River. This print has subtle, delicate coloration and beautiful gradation (bokashi) in the sky, on the distant mountain, and on the tree trunk and path.
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...