Mandarin ducks
1830s
Medium
Color woodblock print; otanzaku
Dimensions
38.2 × 17.6 cm (15 × 6 7/8 in.)
Classification
woodblock print
Department
Arts of Asia
Museum
Art Institute of Chicago
Accession Number
87044
Art Historical Context
Utagawa Hiroshige1797–1858), one of Japan's most celebrated ukiyo-e masters, created *Mandarin Ducks* in the 1830s as a color woodblock print in the elegant otanzaku format—a tall, narrow design (38.2 × 17.6 cm) ideal for hanging like a scroll in homes. This intimate scale suited Hiroshige's delicate depictions of nature, shifting from his famous landscape series like *The Fifty-three Stations of the Tōkaidō* to serene bird-and-flower motifs popular in Edo-period Japan. The print showcases Hiroshige's mastery of woodblock techniques, where intricate carvings on wooden blocks allowed vibrant c...
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...