雪月花 淀川|Moonlight on the Yodo River (Yodogawa), from the series Snow, Moon, and Flowers (Setsugekka)
ca. 1833
Medium
Woodblock print; ink and color on paper
Dimensions
H. 9 5/8 in. (24.4 cm); W. 14 9/16 in. (37 cm)
Classification
Prints
Culture & Period
Japan · Edo period (1615–1868)
Department
Asian Art
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
Rogers Fund, 1922
Accession Number
JP1429
Tags
Art Historical Context
Katsushika Hokus's *Moonlight on the Y River (Yodogawa)*, from the series *, Moon, and Flowers (Setsugekka)*, a tranquil night scene along Japan's Yodo River around 1833. This wood print depicts boats gliding under a luminous full moon, with riverside houses dotting the misty banks. The *Setsugekka* theme draws from classical Japanese poetry, celebrating nature's three supreme beauties—snow, moon, and flowers—as fleeting moments of perfection, inviting viewers to savor ephemeral harmony. As a pinnacle of ukiyo-e ("pictures of the floating world"), Hokusai's mastery shines in his innovative us...
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...