Evening Bells at Mii (Mii bansho), section of a sheet from the series "Eight Views of Omi (Omi hakkei)"
c. 1847/52
Medium
Color woodblock print; section of harimaze sheet
Dimensions
20.8 × 10.2 cm (8 1/4 × 4 1/16 in.)
Classification
woodblock print
Department
Arts of Asia
Museum
Art Institute of Chicago
Accession Number
26416
Art Historical Context
**Evening Bells at MiiMii banshō)**, a captivating color woodblock print by Utagawa Hiroshige1797–1858), captures one of the timeless "Eight Views of Ōmi," a series inspired by ancient Chinese landscape motifs adapted to celebrate the scenic beauty of Ōmi Province near Kyoto Created around 1847–52 during Japan's Edo period, this work depicts the serene Mii-dera Temple at dusk, where evening bells resonate over misty waters, evoking a profound sense of melancholy and tranquility—a hallmark of Hiroshige's ukiyo-e mastery. Hiroshige, renowned for his poetic landscapes like *The Fifty-three Stati...
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...