River trout
c. 1832/44
Medium
Color woodblock print; oban
Dimensions
25.6 × 37.2 cm (10 1/8 × 14 11/16 in.)
Classification
woodblock print
Department
Arts of Asia
Museum
Art Institute of Chicago
Accession Number
99495
Art Historical Context
Utagawa Hiroshige1797–1858), one of Japan's most celebrated ukiyo masters, crafted *River Trout* around 1832–44 during the Edo period. Best known for his evocative landscapes like *The Fifty-three Stations of Tōkaidō*, Hiroshige also excelled in intimate nature studies, capturing the beauty of everyday subjects such as fish. This color woodblock print, in the popular oban format (25.6 × 37.2 cm), exemplifies his skill in depicting the transient world of ukiyo-e—"pictures of the floating world"—where flora, fauna, and seasonal motifs celebrated Japan's natural abundance. Printed using intricat...
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...