Otsuki Plain in Kai Province (Kai Otsuki no hara), from the series "Thirty-six Views of Mount Fuji (Fuji sanjurokkei)"
Medium
Color woodblock print; oban
Dimensions
34.7 × 22.9 cm (13 11/16 × 9 in.)
Classification
woodblock print
Department
Arts of Asia
Museum
Art Institute of Chicago
Accession Number
60334
Art Historical Context
Utagawa Hiroshige, a master of the ukiyo-e woodblock print tradition, created *Otsuki Plain in Kai Province (Kai Otsuki no hara)* in 1858 as part of his renowned series *Thirty-six Views of Mount Fuji (Fuji sanjurokkei)*. This late work, produced just before his death, showcases Hiroshige's poetic eye for landscape, rivaling his contemporary Hokusai's earlier Fuji series. From the expansive Otsuki Plain in Kai Province (modern-day Yamanashi), Mount Fuji looms majestically in the distance, framed by everyday rural life—travelers, farmers, and thatched roofs—evoking the harmonious blend of natur...
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...