Golden pheasant
1830s
Medium
Color woodblock print; chuban
Dimensions
23.2 × 17 cm (9 1/4 × 6 5/8 in.)
Classification
woodblock print
Department
Arts of Asia
Museum
Art Institute of Chicago
Accession Number
56200
Art Historical Context
Utagawa Hiroshige (7–1858), one of Japan's most celebrated ukiyo masters, created *Golden Pheasant* in 1830s during the vibrant Edo period. Renowned for his evocative landscapes like *The Fifty-three Stations of Tōkaidō*, Hiroshige also excelled in kachō-e—delicate prints of birds and flowers—that celebrated nature's fleeting beauty. This chuban-format woodblock print, measuring a compact 23.2 × 17 cm, captures the majestic pheasant in vivid detail, showcasing his talent for infusing everyday subjects with poetic grace. The medium of color woodblock printing was revolutionary for its time, al...
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...