River landscape and temple in the rain
Classification
Painting
Department
Smithsonian Collection
Museum
Smithsonian American Art Museum
Credit
Gift of Charles Lang Freer
Accession Number
F1903.106
Tags
About this artwork
To 1903
Art Historical Context
In the tranquil yet evocative *River Landscape and Temple in the Rain Utagawa Hirosh II (1826–1869), a gifted pupil and adopted son of the renowned ukiyo-e master Hiroige I, captures the moody beauty of Japan's Edo period (1615–1868). This 19th-century hanging scroll (kakemono) depicts a winding river flanked by a temple, shrouded in gentle rain—a classic motif in Japanese art that blends nature's impermanence with spiritual serenity. Hiroshige II's ukiyo-e style, meaning "pictures of the floating world," emphasizes fleeting moments, transforming everyday landscapes into poetic visions. As a ...