Untitled

Utagawa Hiroshige

19th century · Hanging scroll; ink and color on silk · Asian Art

Hiroshige's great achievement in translating landscape to prints and popular art forms rested on his unique ability to understand the traditional qualities of famous places (meisho) and to see them anew. This scene of the Imado Bridge captures the usually busy gateway to the pleasure quarters at a quiet moment before evening falls and lingers amidst the humble man-made and natural beauty of the river scene. The restrained wash and simple brushstrokes are well suited to his subject.

Artist

Utagawa Hiroshige

Date

19th century

Medium

Hanging scroll; ink and color on silk

Culture

Japan

Department

Asian Art

Credit line

The Harry G. C. Packard Collection of Asian Art, Gift of Harry G. C. Packard, and Purchase, Fletcher, Rogers, Harris Brisbane Dick, and Louis V. Bell Funds, Joseph Pulitzer Bequest, and The Annenberg Fund Inc. Gift, 1975