Odawara: The Sakawa River (Odawara, Sakawagawa), from the series "Fifty-three Stations of the Tokaido Road (Tokaido gojusan tsugi no uchi)," also known as the Hoeido Tokaido
c. 1833/34
Medium
Color woodblock print; oban
Dimensions
25 × 36.1 cm (9 3/4 × 14 1/4 in.)
Classification
woodblock print
Department
Arts of Asia
Museum
Art Institute of Chicago
Accession Number
23745
Art Historical Context
Utagawa Hiroshige *Odawara: The Sak River* (c. 1833/34) is a captivating color woodblock print from the renowned Hoeido edition of *Fifty-three Stations of theōkaidō Road*. This series immortalizes the 53 post stations along the vital Tōkaidō, a bustling route connecting Edo (modern Tokyo) to Kyoto during Japan's Edo period (1603–1868). Hiroshige, a master of the ukiyo-e ("pictures of the floating world") tradition, captures the journey's scenic beauty and human drama, making these prints affordable souvenirs for travelers and collectors alike. In this oban-sized print (25 × 36.1 cm), Hiroshi...
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...