Edo hakkei|Eight Views of Edo

Art Historical Context

Step into the bustling world of Edo-period Japan with *Edo hakkei (Eight Views of Edo)*, a captivating bound book of polychromeblock prints created by Utagawa Toyohiro 1771. Toyohiro, a master the Utagawa school and mentor to the famed Hiroshige, captured the iconic sights of Edo—modern-day Tokyo—in this series. Drawing from a long tradition inspired by Chinese landscapes like the Eight Views of Xiao-Xiang these prints celebrate the city's dynamic energy through scenes of houses, cities, landscapes, trees, and human figures going about daily life. The medium shines here: ink and color on paper, produced via intricate woodblock printing techniques that allowed vibrant, multi-layered hues and precise details. Bound as an illustrated book (ôhon), it offered an intimate, portable experience, blending art with literature in Edo Japan's thriving ukiyo-e culture—"pictures of the floating world." At 9 3/4 x 14 7/8 inches, its compact format made it accessible to urban elites savoring their city's beauty. This Rogers Fund acquisition at the Metropolitan Museum of Art highlights Toyohiro's skill in evoking seasonal moods and atmospheric depth, a hallmark of Japanese printmaking. A window into 18th-century urban Japan, it invites you to trace the roots of later Impressionist influences.

About the Artist

Utagawa Toyohiro · 1763–1828

Utagawa Toyohiro (1763–1828) was a Japanese ukiyo-e artist and painter who founded a major branch of the Utagawa school and is best remembered as the teacher of Utagawa Hiroshige, one of the greatest landscape print designers in Japanese art history. Born in Edo (present-day Tokyo), he studied under Utagawa Toyoharu, the founder of the Utagawa school, who was noted for introducing Western perspect...