Utagawa Hiroshige, "Asakusa Rice Fields and Torinomachi Festival"

It has been just over a year since we looked at another of Hiroshige's works, and that was from a different series.   
   Utagawa Hiroshige (1797-1858) was one of the finest of the Japanese artists, and is often considered the greatest landscape artist of his century.  He was hugely influential, especially to European artists such as Monet, Manet, Whistler, and Van Gogh.  I find it sadly interesting that although his paintings and prints were in high demand, selling well, he was poorly paid, never accumulating great wealth. In 1856 he retired to become a Buddhist monk, and at that time began his final series of woodcut prints.  This weeks selection is taken from that series, "100 Famous Views of Edo" 
The title of the work is "Asakusa Rice Fields and Torinomachi Festival".
   What strikes me the most about this work is how creative it is.  Many of Hiroshige's works were part of a series, so this is not unusual, but who takes on the task of making 100 of the same subject?  And, this one in particular, showing the cat looking out at the city, fields and festival.  It is so delightful, as if we are in this room too, quietly gazing at the scene.  
   But there is so much going on here.  I see the rice bowl, the towel, and the items on the floor, left, which I do not recognize.  Also, the abstract bird forms working across the wall, below the window, I must only assume are imprinted designs.  
   As is typical with Hiroshige's work, the composition is amazing.  Here again we can see down into the room, up into the deep blue of the sky, and straight out at Edo (Edo was the name of the city, now called Tokyo).  And, beyond into the grey area are people doing about their daily tasks, while a large flight of birds point directly at Mount Fuji as the gracefully descend.  
   This copy of Asakusa Rice Fields and Torinomachi Festival is a woodcut print which is part of the collection of the Boston Fine Art Museum. It is dated 1857 and measures 14" x 95/8".  

Make Art a part of your day, it's a beautiful thing to do.  

Comments

  1. Char HarguthJune 21, 2021 at 10:39 AM

    I am always impressed by this labor intensive process. It seems to be equally creative and technical. Our view, looking in, is interesting and such detail. I would imagine each of the items have meaning and purpose. His works are so masterful in such of variety of subjects, and with such precision. Color gradations are amazing. I can only imagine how passionate he was about his
    work, and also the locations he chooses. Excellent artist with unusual compositions.

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