Japanese white-eye and persimmons
c. 1847/52
Medium
Color woodblock print; koban
Dimensions
22.2 × 16.5 cm (8 3/4 × 6 1/2 in.)
Classification
woodblock print
Department
Arts of Asia
Museum
Art Institute of Chicago
Accession Number
56223
Art Historical Context
This charming color woodblock print, *Japanese White-eye and Persimmons*, was created around 1847–52 by Utagawa Hiroshige II (also known as Shigenobu), a talented pupil and adopted son of the renowned landscape master Utagawa Hiroshige I. Belonging to the ukiyo-e tradition—"pictures of the floating world"—it captures a delicate moment in nature: a small Japanese white-eye bird perched amid vibrant persimmons, evoking the fleeting beauty of autumn. The intimate *koban* format (22.2 × 16.5 cm) made it ideal for personal albums or fans, reflecting the era's booming market for affordable, mass-pro...
About the Artist
Utagawa Hiroshige II (Shigenobu) · 1826–1869
Utagawa Hiroshige II, born Suzuki Chinpei in 1826, was one of the most accomplished ukiyo-e artists of mid-nineteenth century Japan. He entered the studio of the celebrated landscape master Utagawa Hiroshige I — known for his iconic series "The Fifty-three Stations of the Tokaido" — and proved himself the most talented of the elder artist's few students. So highly regarded was the young pupil that...