Yodogawa|京都名所之内 淀川|On the Yodo River
1797–1858
Medium
Woodblock print; ink and color on paper
Dimensions
10 1/4 x 15 in. (26.0 x 38.1 cm)
Classification
Prints
Culture & Period
Japan · Edo period (1615–1868)
Department
Asian Art
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
Henry L. Phillips Collection, Bequest of Henry L. Phillips, 1939
Accession Number
JP2882
Tags
Art Historical Context
Utagawa Hiroshige1797–1858), a master of ukiyo-e woodblock, captures the serene beauty of Japan's Edo period (1615–1868) in *On the Yodo River (Yodogawa), part of his series *Kyoto Famous Places*. Created as a woodblock print with ink and color on paper this 10¼ × 15-inch work exemplifies the collaborative artistry of ukiyo-e: designers like Hiroshige sketched the image, carvers shaped the woodblocks, and printers applied vibrant pigments in precise layers for luminous effects. The Yodo River, a vital waterway near Kyoto linking it to Osaka, was a bustling hub for travel and commerce, evoking ...
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...