Listening to the cuckoo's cry
n.d.
Medium
Color woodblock print; habahiro hashira-e
Classification
woodblock print
Department
Arts of Asia
Museum
Art Institute of Chicago
Accession Number
109404
Art Historical Context
Utagawa Toyohiro (1773–1814), a master of thekiyo-e tradition in late Edo-period Japan, created *Listening to the Cuckoo's Cry*, a color woodblock print in the distinctive *habahiro hashira* format. This narrow, vertical pillar print—measuring roughly 28 by 9 inches—was designed to adorn architectural pillars in homes or teahouses, blending art seamlessly into everyday spaces. Produced through the collaborative woodblock process, where artisans carved blocks for each color layer, it exemplifies the precision and vibrancy of Japanese printmaking. The title evokes a poetic moment of quiet conte...
About the Artist
Utagawa Toyohiro · 1763–1828
Utagawa Toyohiro (1763–1828) was a Japanese ukiyo-e artist and painter who founded a major branch of the Utagawa school and is best remembered as the teacher of Utagawa Hiroshige, one of the greatest landscape print designers in Japanese art history. Born in Edo (present-day Tokyo), he studied under Utagawa Toyoharu, the founder of the Utagawa school, who was noted for introducing Western perspect...