Bird and wild carnation
c. 1830s
Medium
Color woodblock print; yotsugiriban
Dimensions
19.1 × 12.6 cm (7 1/2 × 4 7/8 in.)
Classification
woodblock print
Department
Arts of Asia
Museum
Art Institute of Chicago
Accession Number
33661
Art Historical Context
Utagawa Hiroshige (1797–1858), one of Japan's most celebrated ukiyo-e masters, created *Bird and Wild Carnation* around the 1830s. This intimate color woodblock print exemplifies skill in *kachō-e*—depictions of birds and flowers—departing from his renowned landscapes like *The Fifty-three Stations of theōkaidō*. Rendered in the narrow *yotsugiriban* format (19.1 × 12.6 cm), it was likely produced as a luxurious *surimono* print for private patrons, showcasing refined elegance in a compact space. The print's historical significance lies in the Edo-period (1603–1868) ukiyo-e tradition, where w...
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...