東海道五十三次之内　岡部　宇津の山之図|Okabe

Art Historical Context

**Okabe from *The Fifty-Three Stations of the Tōkaidō*** Utagawa Hirosh (1797–1858), a master of ukiyo-e woodblock prints, captures the dramatic beauty of Okabe station in this vibrant scene from his renowned 1833–1834 series, with this impression dating to around 1842. Part of the Edo-period Tōkaidō highway linking Edo (modern Tokyo) to Kyoto, Okabe was infamous for its steep Utsunoyama pass—a treacherous mountain route lined with sheer cliffs. Hiroshige depicts weary travelers, including men and women, pausing at roadside tea houses, their figures dwarfed by towering peaks shrouded in mist, evoking the perils and allure of pilgrimage travel. This woodblock print, inked and colored on paper (9 1/8 x 13 23/32 in.), exemplifies Hiroshige's genius for landscape artistry within the ukiyo-e tradition, emphasizing atmospheric perspective and subtle color gradients achieved through collaborative printing techniques. Produced during Japan's Edo period (1615–1868), these affordable prints democratized scenic views, fueling a craze for Tōkaidō souvenirs among urban dwellers. Now in the Metropolitan Museum of Art's Asian Art collection (purchased 1918), it highlights Hiroshige's influence on Western artists like Van Gogh, blending everyday life with sublime nature in a timeless celebration of Japan's cultural wanderlust.

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...