Boat on the Sumida
1817–58
Medium
Dimensions
6 5/8 × 9 in. (16.9 × 22.8 cm) Image: 6 5/8 × 8 7/8 in. (16.9 × 22.6 cm)
Classification
Prints
Culture
Japanese
Department
Robert Lehman Collection
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
Robert Lehman Collection, 1975
Accession Number
1975.1.983
Tags
Art Historical Context
**Boat on the Sumida** Utagawa Hirosh captures a serene moment on Tokyo's iconic Sumida River during Japan's Edo period (1603–1868). Hiroshige (1797–1858), a master of ukiyo-e—"pictures of the floating world"—led in woodblock prints that romanticized everyday landscapes, travel, and urban life. This intimate print, measuring just 6⅝ × 8⅞ inches, likely draws from his renowned series like *One Hundred Famous Views Edo*, evoking the river's vital role as a bustling waterway for commerce, festivals, and leisure. Hiroshige's genius lies in his atmospheric effects: subtle gradients of color and de...
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...