東海道五十三次 箱根 夜中松明とり|Hakone
ca. 1848–49
Medium
Woodblock print; ink and color on paper
Dimensions
Overall: 8 3/4 x 13 3/4in. (22.2 x 34.9cm)
Classification
Prints
Culture & Period
Japan · Edo period (1615–1868)
Department
Asian Art
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
The Francis Lathrop Collection, Purchase, Frederick C. Hewitt Fund, 1911
Accession Number
JP761
Tags
Art Historical Context
In Utagawa Hiroshige captivating woodblock print *Hakone* from his renowned series *The Fifty-three Stations of the Tōidō* (ca. 1848–49), travelers navigate the steep, misty paths of Hakone Pass under the cover of night. Part of the vital Tōkaidō highway Edo (modern Tokyo) to Kyoto during Japan's Edo period (16151868), this station was a challenging checkpoint known for its rugged terrain and strict border inspections. Hiroshige masterfully captures the drama of the journey with torch-bearing porters (松明取り), their pine torches casting flickering glows that illuminate weary figures against a de...
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...