Mushroom Gathering at Kumano in Kii Province (Kishu Kumano iwatake tori) from the series “One Hundred Famous Views in the Various Provinces (Shokoku meisho hyakkei)”
Medium
Color woodblock print; ōban
Dimensions
35.4 × 24.0 cm (13 15/16 × 9 7/16 )
Classification
woodblock print
Department
Arts of Asia
Museum
Art Institute of Chicago
Accession Number
64449
Art Historical Context
Utagawa Hiroshige II created this vibrant color woodblock print in 1860 as part of his ambitious series “One Hundred Famous Views in the Various Provinces.” A student and adopted son of the celebrated Hiroshige I, the younger artist carried forward the ukiyo-e tradition of capturing Japan’s scenic beauty for an eager urban audience. The ōban-sized sheet depicts the rugged mountains of Kumano in Kii Province, where figures gather iwata ke—an edible mountain lichen prized for its delicate flavor—amid misty peaks and winding paths. Kumano had long been revered as a sacred pilgrimage site, its re...
About the Artist
Utagawa Hiroshige II (Shigenobu) · 1826–1869
Utagawa Hiroshige II, born Suzuki Chinpei in 1826, was one of the most accomplished ukiyo-e artists of mid-nineteenth century Japan. He entered the studio of the celebrated landscape master Utagawa Hiroshige I — known for his iconic series "The Fifty-three Stations of the Tokaido" — and proved himself the most talented of the elder artist's few students. So highly regarded was the young pupil that...