Mishima, from an untitled series of the fifty-three stations of the Tokaido
c. 1804
Medium
Color woodblock print; kokonotsugiri-ban
Dimensions
12.6 × 17.5 cm (5 × 6 15/16 in.)
Classification
woodblock print
Department
Arts of Asia
Museum
Art Institute of Chicago
Accession Number
23693
Art Historical Context
Katsushika Hokusai's *Mishima, from an untitled series of the fifty-three stations of the Tōkaidō* (c. 1804) captures the essence of travel along Japan's historic Eastern Sea Road, a vital route connecting Edo (modern Tokyo) to Kyoto. This woodblock print depicts the station town of Mishima, one of the 53 stops immortalized in ukiyo-e art, reflecting the era's fascination with pilgrimage, commerce, and scenic beauty. Hokusai, a master of the ukiyo-e ("pictures of the floating world") movement, produced this early work during his formative years, before masterpieces like *The Great Wave*. Prin...
About the Artist
Katsushika Hokusai · 1760–1849
Katsushika Hokusai (1760-1849) stands as one of history's most influential artists, a Japanese master who revolutionized the ukiyo-e woodblock print tradition and profoundly shaped Western art. Born in the Katsushika district of Edo (modern-day Tokyo) to an artisan family, Hokusai lived through nearly nine decades of extraordinary creative evolution, adopting over thirty different artistic names t...