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
36.2 × 24.3 cm (13 3/8 × 8 3/4 in.)
Classification
woodblock print
Department
Arts of Asia
Museum
Art Institute of Chicago
Accession Number
34061
Rights
Public Domain
Art Historical Context
In Utagawa Hiroshige masterful series *One Hundred Famous Views Edo (Meisho Edo hyakkei)*, between 1856 and 1859, the woodblock print *Suijin Shrine and Mass on the Sumida River captures a serene moment along one of Edo's (modern-day Tokyo's) most vital waterways. Produced in Hiroshige's final years, this 1856 oban-sized print (36.2 × 24.3 cm) showcases the artist's profound sensitivity to landscape, blending the urban bustle of Edo with natural beauty during the late Edo period—a time of relative peace before Japan's rapid modernization. Hiroshige, a leading figure in the ukiyo-e tradition of "pictures of the floating world," revolutionized woodblock printing with his atmospheric use of color and composition. Here, the color woodblock technique—employing multiple carved blocks inked in vibrant hues—brings to life the Sumida River's reflective waters, the Suijin Shrine dedicated to the water deity, and the Massaki district's everyday scenes. Oban format made such prints accessible to a wide audience, from merchants to collectors, democratizing art in 19th-century Japan. This work's cultural significance lies in its nostalgic preservation of Edo's landmarks amid encroaching change. Housed in the Art Institute of Chicago's Arts of Asia department, it exemplifies Hiroshige's legacy, influencing later artists like Vincent van Gogh and enduring as a window into Japan's poetic interplay of nature, spirituality, and city life.
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...