Sazai Hall at the Temple of the Five Hundred Arhats (Gohyaku rakan Sazaido), from the series "Famous Places in the Eastern Capital (Toto meisho)"
c. 1832/38
Medium
Color woodblock print; oban
Dimensions
25.2 × 37.1 cm (9 15/16 × 14 5/8 in.)
Classification
woodblock print
Department
Arts of Asia
Museum
Art Institute of Chicago
Accession Number
25390
Art Historical Context
In Utagawa Hiroshige captivating color woodblock print *Sazai Hall at the Temple of the Five Hundredhats (Gohyaku rakan Saza)*, created around 1832–38, visitors glimpse a serene corner of Edo (modern Tokyo). Part of the artist's renowned series *Famous Places the Eastern Capital (Tto meisho)*, oban-sized print (25.2 × 37.1 cm) showcases temple's hall, famed for its collection of 500 stone statues depicting arhats—enlightened disciples of the Buddha. Hiroshige, a master of the ukiyo-e tradition, masterfully captures the architectural elegance amid lush greenery, inviting viewers into everyday s...
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...