Kuwana: Ferryboat at Shichiri Crossing (Kuwana, Shichiri no watashibune)—No. 43, from the series "Fifty-three Stations of the Tokaido (Tokaido gojusan tsugi)," also known as the Reisho Tokaido
c. 1847/52
Medium
Color woodblcok print; oban
Dimensions
24 × 36.5 cm (9 7/16 × 14 3/8 in.)
Classification
woodblock print
Department
Arts of Asia
Museum
Art Institute of Chicago
Accession Number
18329
Art Historical Context
Utagawa Hiroshige *Kuwana: Ferryboat Shichiri Crossing*, his renowned series *Fifty-three Stations the Tōkaidō* (c. 1847–52), captures a pivotal moment along Japan's historic coastal highway connecting Edo (modern Tokyo) to Kyoto. This woodblock print, number 43 in the sequence known as the Reisho Tōkaidō edition for its elegant reisho calligraphy, depicts travelers boarding a ferry at the Shichiri no Watashibune crossing near Kuwana station. Produced during the Edo period, the series romanticized the arduous journeys of pilgrims, merchants, and samurai, reflecting the era's booming travel cul...
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...