Hiroshige: Favourite Woodblock Prints

One Hundred Famous Views of Edo [1856-1858] is a popular, highly influential series of ukiyo-e prints of Edo (now Tokyo)’s environs produced by Utagawa Hiroshige (1797-1858). They offer views of Edo’s landscapes, temples, bridges, tea-houses, busy streets and people, often during seasonal festivities. They showcased unique for that time perspectives and offered unexpected insights, such as the interplay between the concrete and the abstract, the eternal and the mundane. The prints are not only masterworks, but also now a vivid throwback to Japan’s historic past with its long-gone traditions. Below are 15 of my favourite prints from this magnificent collection.

Bamboo Quay by Kyōbashi Bridge is one of Hiroshige’s nocturnal masterpieces in One Hundred Famous Views of Edo that shows the Kyōbashi river and its bridge being traversed by pilgrims. In the background, one can see drying bamboo rods of the bamboo quay. The painting probably influenced James McNeill Whistler in his artwork Nocturne in Blue & Gold: Old Battersea Bridge.

Hiroshige invites us to step into a garden and enjoy its blossoming plum trees in print Plum Orchard in Kamada. Our point of entry is a palanquin to the right from which we can take in the whole unfolding scene: people strolling and enjoying themselves among the trees – we are in this moment. There is a masterful gradation of red in this image, and the hastily thrown onto the palanquin green garment further emphasises a sense of repose, leisure and pleasure. Yatsumi Bridge‘s name means “to see eight”, which meant that eight other bridges can be seen from it. This is an evocative, postcard-perfect view of Mount Fuji partly framed by the willow to the right. You can just about make out the shogun’s castle’s edifices in the middle of this artwork.

Suruga-chō – this print in One Hundred Famous Views of Edo suggests something fantastical: a busy shopping street seems to lead straight to Mount Fuji, which, in turn, seems to occupy some mythical place in heaven. The optical illusion is created by the clouds and the perspective. This is the Suruga-chō quarter that boasted a number of prominent textile-retail businesses in Edo, and one of them was famous Uchigoya store (now Mitsukoshi) founded in 1673 by Takatoshi Mitsui. The second print is Night View of Saruwaka-machi showing the street known for its kabuki and puppet theatres. Equally, the scene appears almost a theatrical stage with the people being illuminated by the Moon from behind, casting their shadows on the ground that appears almost glacial, adding to surrealism.

One of the attractive features of Hiroshige’s artworks is the way they seamlessly transport us from the near to the far and vice versa, inviting the viewer to participate in the act of observation. This art technique was considered a relative novelty in Hiroshige’s time, but also the one that helped to seal the popularity of his work. Ekōin Temple in Ryōgoku depicts Ekōin, a temple of the Pure Land School of Buddhism that also hosted the very first sumo tournament. In the foreground, Hiroshige depicted the scaffolding on which drums were beaten to announce the start of the tournament. The vertical structure is contrasted with the horizontal lines of the river and the land, topped by majestic, snow-covered Mount Fuji.

Horikiri Iris Garden – I love this print for its unusual perspective and insight. The print takes the viewpoint of an observer hidden behind some flowering irises looking at the shore opposite. The view is of some ladies working or taking their promenade in the field. Undoubtedly, the irises in the foreground represent the women in the background since they share the same colouring. The feeling of clandestine observation of the irises’ counterparts gives this composition a sensuous, almost erotic quality. The iris depicted here is of the Hanashobu variety. It loves water and is said to represent elegance.

Sudden Shower Over Shin-Ōhashi is clearly Hiroshige’s ultimate masterpiece and probably his most famous work, which was also copied by Vincent Van Gogh. It is an atmospheric print depicting people on the bridge who were suddenly caught up in a shower storm. They try to hurry away using umbrellas and straw mats, while on the opposite bank looms the Atake district bathed in mist. The rain lines required a considerable technical skill since they had to display both irregularity and thinness. Idyllic print Mokuboji Temple showcases much of Japan’s natural beauty. Here, two elegantly-dressed women are disembarking and making their way to the upscale Uehan restaurant shown on the right. In Hiroshige’s time, it was as well-known as the Mokuboji Temple on the Uchigawa Inlet, which was not far from central Edo.

The first ukiyo-e in this series is the striking image of eastern Edo before mass urbanisation and technological developments (the area is now Koto City, Tokyo). We see here the quiet waters and vegetation, including tall pine trees, that surround the Moto-Hachiman Shrine as people are promenading their way to the temple hidden from view. Fudo Falls in Ōji depicts the Seven Falls in the Ōji resort town not far from Edo developed by third shogun Yoshimune (1684-1751). The Falls are named after Fudō Myōō, the king of esoteric knowledge in the Japanese Buddhist tradition. A weekend trip to the Falls (considered a sacred site) was not only an enjoyable and relaxing getaway, but promised spiritual fulfilment and curative benefits. In the print, the two men are enjoying the waters while being served hot tea, while the two women are standing and surveying the scene.

Foxfire on New Year’s Night is Hiroshige’s mysticism-focused painting in which he depicts foxes with magical powers gathering on New Year’s Night under the Chinese hackberry to worship their deity – Inari. They emit fire with their luminous, fiery breaths that can be seen from miles away. The bright glow of the foxes is vividly constructed with the darkness of the night, and there is a remarkable gradation of dark colours. I love the print for its Halloweenesque, eerie setting which reminds me of the Witches’ Sabbath and will-o’-the-wisp.

The first woodblock print shows the environs of the Akiba Shrine at Ukeji. The deities of this shrine offered protection against fire. A gentle lake, curving to the left, makes up nearly the whole of the composition. Japan is known for its cherry-blossoms, but its red maple-tree season in autumn can be as stunning a spectacle, known as 紅葉狩り(momijigari/fall-leaf viewing). The curious aspect of this print is that the artist in green depicted here sitting at the bottom left and sketching the trees on the opposite shore may be Hiroshige himself (Henry D. Smith’s theory). Modestly, he depicted himself from behind, and the woman and the child seen next to him are probably his wife Yasu and adopted daughter Tatsu.

The next print is titled Fukagawa Susaki & Jumantsubo, and showcases Hiroshige’s powerful play with contrasts: the close-range shot of the eagle’s vigorous flight is contrasted with the still expanses of barren land in the distance. The white landscape is then also contrasted with the elaborately-depicted black-and-grey plumage of the bird. The Maple Trees at Mama – I love Hiroshige’s landscape prints – this one, as so many others, makes us believe as though we are on a hike and just happened to peek through some branches on our way up some mountain, being suddenly confronted with a wonderful view below. That view is the Guhoji Temple in the village of Mama, that attracted many visitors in autumn because of its abundance of maple trees.

🎏 What is your favourite print from above, or do you have any other favourite artwork by Hiroshige?