歌川広重画 蔦に柄長鳥|Long-tailed Tit on Autumn Ivy
ca. 1835
Medium
Woodblock print (hosoban); ink and color on paper
Dimensions
14 3/4 x 4 3/4 in. (37.5 x 12.1 cm)
Classification
Prints
Culture & Period
Japan · Edo period (1615–1868)
Department
Asian Art
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
The Howard Mansfield Collection, Purchase, Rogers Fund, 1936
Accession Number
JP2536
Tags
Art Historical Context
In the vibrant world of Edo-period Japan (1615–1868), Utagawa Hiroige captures the delicate poetry of nature in *Long-tailed Tit on Autumn Ivy* (ca. 1835). This woodblock print, a narrow *hosoban* format measuring just 14¾ x 4¾ inches, exemplifies the ukiyo-e tradition of depicting the "floating"—ephemeral beauty in everyday scenes. Hiroshige, for his luminous landscapes like *The Fifty-Three Stations of the Tōkaidō*, here turns his masterful eye to intimate wildlife, showcasing a perky long-tailed tit perched amid cascading autumn ivy leaves. The print's ink and color on paper highlight Hiro...
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...