Gezicht op de Fudo tempel in Meguro

About this artwork

blad: hoogte 137 mm x breedte 171 mm

Art Historical Context

**Gezicht op de Fudo tempel in Meg** by Utagawa Toyoh (c. 1735–1814) offers a captivating glimpse into Edo-period Japan around 1770–1775. This intimate color woodcut, measuring just 137 mm high by 171 mm wide, depicts the Fudo Temple in Meguro (now part of Tokyo), a revered site dedicated to Fudo Myo-o, the fierce Buddhist deity of wisdom and fire. Toyoharu, a pioneering ukiyo-e master founder of the influential Utagawa school, captures the temple's serene hillside amid lush surroundings, inviting viewers into the "floating world" of everyday beauty and spirituality. Toyoharu's work marks a pivotal moment in Japanese printmaking, blending traditional ukiyo-e vibrancy with innovative Western-inspired perspective techniques he encountered through imported Chinese books. This small-scale *nishiki-e* (brocade print) showcases the labor-intensive woodblock process: intricate carving, multiple color blocks, and hand-rubbing to achieve rich hues on delicate paper. Produced during the Genroku era's cultural boom, such prints were affordable souvenirs for urbanites, democratizing art and fueling Japan's woodcut revolution. Today, this gem highlights ukiyo-e's global legacy, influencing Impressionists like Van Gogh. Stroll virtually through Meguro's misty paths and ponder Toyoharu's bridge between East and West—art that once lined teahouse walls now enchants museum-goers worldwide. (198 words)

About the Artist

Utagawa Toyoharu · 1735–1814

Utagawa Toyoharu (1735–1814) holds a foundational place in the history of Japanese printmaking as the founder of the prolific and long-lived Utagawa school, which would go on to produce some of the most celebrated names in ukiyo-e, including Hiroshige and Kuniyoshi. Born in what is now Hyogo Prefecture, Toyoharu moved to Edo, where he studied under Toriyama Sekien and later explored the Kano schoo...