Meisho Edo hyakkei

About this artwork

verzamelaarsmerk, onder prent, gestempeld: Lugt 2228

Art Historical Context

**One Hundred Famous Views of Edo: A Timeless Celebration of Urban Japan** Utagawa Hiroshige1797–1858), a master of the ukiyo-e tradition—"pictures of the floating world"— *Meisho Edo hyakkei* (One Hundred Famous Views of) in 1857, the end of his career. This iconic series 118 woodblock prints (exceeding the titular hundred) captures the bustling streets, serene landscapes, and seasonal moods of Edo, modern-day Tokyo, during Japan's Edo period (1603–1868). Hiroshige's innovative compositions, with bold perspectives and atmospheric effects like rain, mist, and fireworks, elevated landscape printmaking to poetic heights, influencing later Impressionists such as Vincent van Gogh. Printed as a *nishiki-e*—or "brocade picture"—this full-color woodblock on paper (370 × 249 mm, standard *oban* size) showcases the pinnacle of Japanese print technology. Artisans used dozens of carved cherry woodblocks, inked in vibrant hues and precisely overlaid, to achieve a luxurious, tapestry-like richness unattainable in earlier monochrome works. This medium democratized art, making sophisticated beauty accessible beyond elite circles. Bearing a collector's mark (Lugt 2228) stamped beneath the image—likely from esteemed European collections—this print whispers of its global journey, bridging Edo's vibrant life with 19th-century Western fascination for Japonisme. A window into fleeting beauty, it invites you to wander Hiroshige's Edo anew.