Seido and Kanda River from Shohei Bridge (Shoheibashi Seido Kandagawa), from the series "One Hundred Famous Views of Edo (Meisho Edo hyakkei)"
Medium
Color woodblock print; oban
Dimensions
35.3 × 23.9 cm (13 7/8 × 9 3/8 in.)
Classification
woodblock print
Department
Arts of Asia
Museum
Art Institute of Chicago
Accession Number
34255
Art Historical Context
Utagawa Hiroshige, a master of ukiyo-e woodblock prints, created *Seido and Kanda from Shohei Bridge* 1857 as part of his iconic series *One Hundred Famous of Edo*. This groundbreaking collection of 118 prints (exceeding the titular "hundred") captures the vibrant cityscapes, seasonal moods, and everyday life of Edo—modern-day Tokyo—during Japan's Edo period. Produced late in Hiroshige's career, series became immensely popular, blending precise observation with poetic atmosphere and influencing Western artists like Vincent van Gogh. Printed in full color on oban-sized paper (35.3 × 23.9 cm), ...
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...