Returning Sails at Yabase (Yabase kihan), from the series "Eight Views of Omi (Omi hakkei)"
Medium
Color woodblock print; oban
Dimensions
37.2 × 25.3 cm (14 5/8 × 9 15/16 in.)
Classification
woodblock print
Department
Arts of Asia
Museum
Art Institute of Chicago
Accession Number
18979
Art Historical Context
Utagawa Hiroshige (1797–1858), a master of Japan's ukiyo-e woodblock print tradition, captures the serene beauty of Lake Biwa in *Returning Sails at Yabase (Yabase kihan)*, from his 1857 series *Eight Views of Omi (Omi hakkei)*. This late Edo-period work draws from a long artistic lineage, adapting China's poetic "Eight Views of Xiao-Xiang" to celebrate Omi Province's (modern Shiga Prefecture) iconic landscapes. Hiroshige's series elevates everyday scenes into evocative meisho-e ("famous places"), blending realism with emotional resonance. Printed in vibrant colors on oban-sized paper (37.2 ×...
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...