Oiso: Saigyo's Hut at Shigitatsu Marsh (Oiso, Shigitatsusawa Saigyoan), no. 9 from the series "Famous Sight of the Fifty-three Stations (Gojusan tsugi meisho zue)," also known as the Vertical Tokaido
Medium
Color woodblock print; oban
Dimensions
37 × 251 cm (14 9/16 × 9 7/8 in.)
Classification
woodblock print
Department
Arts of Asia
Museum
Art Institute of Chicago
Accession Number
25498
Art Historical Context
Utagawa Hiroshige a master of ukiyo-e woodblock prints, captures the serene beauty of Oiso in this 1855 color woodblock print, the ninth in his series *Famous Sights of the Fifty-three (Gojusan tsugi meisho zue)*, also called the Vertical Tōkaidō. These oban-sized prints (about 14½ × 10 inches) depict scenic views along the historic Tōkaidō road, a vital post road connecting Edo (modern Tokyo) to Kyoto during Japan's Edo period (1603–1868). Hiroshige's series celebrates the journey's cultural landmarks, blending everyday travel with poetic landscapes. The scene portrays Saigyō's Hut at Shigit...
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...