Most of Hiroshige’s series of views along the Tōkaidō were in a horizontal format, but later in life, he designed more vertical landscapes – most famously in his series of Edo (modern Tokyo) city views. Though Western artists have traditionally depicted natural scenes in the horizontal “landscape” format, in traditional Chinese painting, mountain landscapes were vertical, allowing artists to create depth by layering elements of the scene upwards to represent the foreground, middle ground and distance. Japanese painters adopted this approach, and Hiroshige incorporated it into his print designs. In this tranquil scene, people and willow trees are closest to the viewer; the zigzagging river leads the eye towards two dark hills in the middle distance, and Mount Fuji towering far away at the top of the print.

- Meher McArthur, January 7, 2021

On verso in pencil: Bai IV 71. On mat in pencil: 54.1.34 Bai IV 71 Hiroshige. Signed: Hiroshige ga. Censor's seal: Aratame and date seal (U-shichi).

Nishiki-e, vertical oban; colored ink on paper.

Color woodblock print of a slope at Motonogahara field, with a lake and willow trees and a winding stream; a small house and people can be seen at a distance. Behind rise black hills, beyond which is seen a grey Fuji, its peak streaked with snow, rising into a blue sky from above white mists.

Tsutakichi (Tsutaya Kichizo) seal.

This object has the following keywords:

• 1841-1868
• Tokaido Road, Japan

This object is a member of the following portfolios: