Act 11, Part 1: The Approach to the Night Attack (Juichidanme ichi, yochi oshiyose), from the series "The Revenge of the Loyal Retainers (Chushingura)"
c. 1834/39
Medium
Color woodblock print; oban
Dimensions
25 × 36.7 cm (9 13/16 × 14 7/16 in.)
Classification
woodblock print
Department
Arts of Asia
Museum
Art Institute of Chicago
Accession Number
33784
Rights
Public Domain
About this artwork
Hiroshige enhanced the dramatic impact of his series by expanding the final act into six separate scenes; the last three are not based on the kabuki play. This image has been described as the masterpiece of the series and depicts the (revenge of the) ronin on a very snowy, isolated evening starting their march on Kira’s home. The whole group crosses a bridge out of Kamakura (Edo) near Kira’s mansion. At the lower right, there is an escape boat (not seen in the play) that ensures, in the event of...
About the Artist
Utagawa Hiroshige · 1826–1869
Utagawa Hiroshige (1797–1858), born Andō Tokutarō, was the last great master of Japanese ukiyo-e woodblock printmaking and one of the most influential landscape artists in history. Born in Edo (modern Tokyo) into a low-ranking samurai family serving as fire wardens, Hiroshige transformed landscape printmaking into a poetic meditation on nature, weather, and everyday life. His revolutionary approac...