Butterfly and Flowers

Art Historical Context

Utagawa Hiroshige II, also known as Shigenobu, created this delicate color woodblock print titled *Butterfly and Flowers* in the early nineteenth century. As an artist of the Utagawa school and adopted son of the celebrated Hiroshige I, he continued the tradition of capturing nature’s quiet beauty with refined observation. The composition centers on a butterfly alighting among blossoms, a motif long celebrated in Japanese art for its evocation of fleeting moments and seasonal change. The work is a *surimono*, a privately commissioned print often produced in limited editions for poetry circles or special occasions. Unlike commercial ukiyo-e sheets, *surimono* frequently employed luxurious techniques such as embossing, metallic pigments, and extra care in color application. Measuring just over eight by seven inches, this intimate scale enhances its refined, personal character. Housed in the Art Institute of Chicago’s Arts of Asia collection, the print exemplifies the technical sophistication of Edo-period woodblock printing while reflecting broader cultural values of harmony with nature and the appreciation of transient beauty.

About the Artist

Utagawa Hiroshige II (Shigenobu) · 1826–1869

Utagawa Hiroshige II, born Suzuki Chinpei in 1826, was one of the most accomplished ukiyo-e artists of mid-nineteenth century Japan. He entered the studio of the celebrated landscape master Utagawa Hiroshige I — known for his iconic series "The Fifty-three Stations of the Tokaido" — and proved himself the most talented of the elder artist's few students. So highly regarded was the young pupil that...