Hiroshige facts

Hiroshige is widely associated with landscape and nature prints. Alongside Hokusai, he is regarded as a leading figure in printmaking during the first half of the nineteenth century.

Hiroshige - Biography

Hiroshige Ando ( - October 12, ) was born as Ando Tokutaro in in Edo (modern-day Tokyo).

He was the son of a samurai and a fireman. Hiroshige is celebrated as one of the greatest masters of ukiyo-e (Japanese woodblock prints), particularly renowned for his contributions to Japanese landscape art.

Ichiryusai hiroshige biography of barack That he was the inventor and only true begetter of this wonderful series of designs which, at their worst, have qualities not yet reached by the best of those artists, whether Japanese or Western, who have tried to follow in Hiroshige's footsteps. He died aged 62 during the great Edo cholera epidemic of whether the epidemic killed him is unknown and was buried in a Zen Buddhist temple in Asakusa. We have no fear of a negative being astonishingly proved by any documents whatever. The Memorial Catalogue refers to a Collection of Comic Poems on all classes of Society Kyoka Yamato Jinbutsu , in 7 volumes, as beautifully coloured, but the author has not seen it.

At the age of twelve, he lost both of his parents. Two years later, in , Hiroshige joined the prestigious Utagawa painting school, which was led by the ukiyo-e master Toyohiro Utagawa at the time. In , he was formally granted the name Utagawa, thereafter identifying himself as Utagawa Hiroshige.

In ukiyo-e literature, he is commonly referred to as Hiroshige Ando.

Early Years

Hiroshige's first published work was a book illustration, released in when he was 21 years old.

Artist painted 36 views of me

Hiroshige portrait

Hiroshige uk

Thirty-six views of mount fuji analysis

Until , Hiroshige primarily created prints in the traditional style he learned from his master, Toyohiro Utagawa. His early commissions focused on book illustrations, and he depicted subjects such as kabuki actors, beautiful women, and a few warrior prints.

Fifty-three Stages of the Tokaido

Starting in , Hiroshige ventured into a new genre: landscape prints.

Among his masterpieces is the series Tokaido gojusan-tsugi no uchi, created between and , consisting of 55 prints in the oban format. In literature, this series is often referred to by various English translations such as Fifty-three Stages of the Tokaido or From the Fifty-three Stations of the Tokaido.

Ichiryusai hiroshige biography of barack obama The translation of the artist's notes which follows was made by Mr. If we credit Hiroshige I merely with the initial design of these prints, it represents an amazing mass of industrious achievement, even allowing for the singular dexterity and speed with which an accomplished Japanese artist places his idea on paper when once he has visualized his subject. The inhabitants both young and old enjoy the constant changes and growths and the new interesting places. Painting Printing.

The Tokaido was a coastal highway connecting Edo to Kyoto, the emperor's residence. These stations functioned as checkpoints where travelers paid tolls. They also offered lodging and simple restaurants for travelers to rest and dine.

The Fifty-three Stations of the Tokaido became the cornerstone of Hiroshige's fame and commercial success.

For the next twenty years, he focused primarily on landscape prints.

More Tokaido Series by Hiroshige

During the Edo period, ukiyo-e publishing operated as a commercial venture, much like modern-day book or film production. Successful works often led to sequels, and print publishers eagerly followed this pattern.

Hiroshige produced several additional series of the Tokaido.

• Tokaido gojusan-tsugi - consisting of 56 prints in chuban size, published circa , also known as the Kyoka Tokaido (featuring kyoka verses on each print).
• Tokaido gojusan-tsugi no uchi - encompassing 55 prints in aiban size, published around , also referred to as the Gyosho Tokaido.

  The term gyosho describes the informal, handwritten style used for the series' cartouches.

• Tokaido - comprising 55 prints in oban size, released circa , also called the Reisho Tokaido. Reisho refers to the formal character style featured in the cartouches of this series.

• Tokaido gojusan-tsugi - containing 54 prints in chuban size, published circa by Tsuta-ya.
• So-hitsu gojusan-tsugi - comprising 55 vertical prints in oban size, issued around This series was a collaboration with Kunisada. The title, The Fifty-three Stations from Two Brushes, reflects this partnership.

  Biography of barack obama: The plum-trees of Omori and Kameido fill its pages with perfume. Hiroshige, selecting the best scenes, with his exquisite touch has so wonderfully portrayed the city, that his pictures seem better even than the real sights! As of old, when the poem was written, there is no view like it yet! Hiroshige: Japan's Great Landscape Artist.

• Gojusan-tsugi meisho-zue - featuring 55 prints in oban size, published in by Tsuta-ya.
• Tokaido gojusan-tsui - consisting of 62 prints in oban size, released in This series was a collaboration between Hiroshige, Kunisada, and Kuniyoshi Utagawa.

By the end of his career, Hiroshige had created between 16 and 19 editions of the Tokaido.

More Masterpieces by Hiroshige

Some of the renowned series created by Utagawa Hiroshige include:

• Famous Places of the Eastern Capital (Edo).
• Famous Places of Kyoto.
• Famous Places in the Sixty-Odd Provinces.
• Sixty-nine Stations of the Kiso Highway.
• Eight Views of Lake Biwa.
• Thirty-Six Views of Mount Fuji.

His final major series, Meisho Edo Hyakkei, or One Hundred Famous Views of Edo, is considered one of his greatest masterpieces.

Ichiryusai hiroshige biography of barack gas Landscapes, flora, and fauna [ edit ]. Witness Tairei Kinryuzan and Sano Kanda, temples. His work was poor and is quite unimportant. We know that he was a competent painter - by the later Ukiyoye standard; and I cannot but think that Hiroshige gave him a far larger share in the output of the firm than Mr.

While commercially successful during his lifetime, Hiroshige did not achieve significant recognition in Japanese society. Like Utamaro, his true acclaim began after his works were discovered in Europe.

Late Hiroshige Prints

Hiroshige's later prints are often regarded as being of lower quality, as he produced a vast number of works quickly to meet market demands.

Hiroshige Utagawa passed away from cholera at the age of 62 on October 12, , in Edo. With an estimated output of 5, prints, Hiroshige remains one of the most prolific ukiyo-e artists.

Ukiyo-e by Hiroshige

These examples are from our archive of sold prints. Clients and consignors of Artelino have access to our archive of Japanese prints.

Author:
Dieter Wanczura, revised by AI
First Publication: 1/1/
Latest Update: 11/22/

Literature sources

• Matthi Forrer, "Hiroshige, Prints and Drawings", Prestel, Munich-London-New York, , ISBN
• Richard Lane, "Images from the Floating World", Konecky & Konecky, Fifth Avenue, New York, NY , , ISBN

Signatures and Seals of Hiroshige Ando (Utagawa)

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