River landscape: red foliage and Mount Fuji
mid 19th century
Classification
Painting
Department
Smithsonian Collection
Museum
Smithsonian American Art Museum
Credit
Gift of Charles Lang Freer
Accession Number
F1905.234
Tags
About this artwork
To 1905
Art Historical Context
This enchanting *River landscape: red foliage Mount Fuji* by Utagawa Hirosh II (1826–1869) captures the poetic beauty of Japan's natural world during the Edo period (161–1868). As a successor in the renowned Utagawa school of ukiyo-e—following his master Hiroshige I—Hiroshige II specialized in evocative landscapes that blend human presence with the grandeur of nature. Created in the mid-19th century this kakemono (hanging scroll painting) likely served as a decorative focal point in a traditional Japanese home or tea room, unrolled for seasonal appreciation. The composition highlights a seren...