歌川広重画　菊に雉|Pheasant with Chrysanthemums

Art Historical Context

In the vibrant world of Edo-period Japan (1615–1868), Utagawa Hiroshige crafted *Pheasant with Chrysanthemums* around 1835, a delicate woodblock print in the hosoban format (14 3/4 x 6 3/4 in.). This intimate artwork exemplifies ukiyo-e, the "pictures of the floating world," where Hiroshige masterfully captured fleeting beauty. Here, a majestic pheasant perches amid blooming chrysanthemums, rendered in vivid inks and colors on paper, showcasing his keen eye for nature's elegance. Hiroshige, renowned for his poetic landscapes like *The Fifty-three Stations of the Tōkaidō*, also excelled in kachō-e—prints of birds and flowers. The hosoban size, popular for affordable single-sheet prints, allowed widespread appreciation among merchants and commoners. Woodblock techniques involved carving intricate blocks for each color layer, pressed onto paper, creating luminous effects that highlight the pheasant's iridescent feathers and the chrysanthemums' symbolic autumnal grace, evoking longevity and imperial refinement in Japanese culture. Today, this gem from the Metropolitan Museum of Art's Asian Art collection, bequeathed by Ellis G. Seymour in 1949, invites visitors to savor Hiroshige's harmonious blend of realism and lyricism, a window into Japan's artistic golden age.

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...