Minakuchi, from the series "Fifty-three Stations of the Tokaido (Tokaido gojusan tsugi)," also known as the Tokaido with Poem (Kyoka iri Tokaido)
c. 1837/42
Medium
Color woodblock print; chuban
Dimensions
17 × 22.9 cm (6 11/16 × 9 in.)
Classification
woodblock print
Department
Arts of Asia
Museum
Art Institute of Chicago
Accession Number
56243
Art Historical Context
Utagawa Hirosh's *Minakuchi*, from the renowned series *Fifty-three Stations the Tōkaidō* (c. 1837–42), captures the 42nd station along the historic Tōkaidō highway, a vital route linking Edo (modern Tokyo) Kyoto during Japan's Edo period. This color woodblock print in the compact chuban format (17 × 22.9 cm) belongs to the "Kyōka iri Tōkaidō" edition, which incorporates playful kyōka poems—humorous, satirical verses—adding a layer of wit to Hiroshige's evocative landscapes. Produced amid booming demand for affordable travel imagery, the series romanticized the journey for urban dwellers who r...
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...