Kurodo Bay in Kazusa Province (Kazusa Kurodo no ura), from the series "Thirty-six Views of Mount Fuji (Fuji sanjurokkei)"
Medium
Color woodblock print; oban
Classification
woodblock print
Department
Arts of Asia
Museum
Art Institute of Chicago
Accession Number
130529
Art Historical Context
Utagawa Hiroshige a master of ukiyo-e woodblock prints, created *Kurodo Bay inusa Province* in 1858 as part of his renowned series *Thirty-six Views Mount Fuji*. This late-career masterpiece captures the iconic mountain from an unusual vantage point along the coast of Kazusa Province (modern-day Chiba Prefecture), showcasing Hiroshige's genius for landscape depiction during Japan's Edo period. Produced amid growing Western influences, the series rivaled Katsushika Hokusai's Fuji views, blending poetic naturalism with everyday scenes to evoke a sense of wanderlust. Printed in vibrant colors on...
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...