Soga no Juro and Soga no Goro ambushing Suketsune, from the series "Illustrated Tale of the Soga Brothers (Soga monogatari zue)"
c. 1843/47
Medium
Color woodblock print; oban
Dimensions
35.5 × 24.9 cm (14 × 9 13/16 in.)
Classification
woodblock print
Department
Arts of Asia
Museum
Art Institute of Chicago
Accession Number
34463
Art Historical Context
In this dynamic color woodblock print from Utagawa Hiroshige's series *Illustrated Tale of the Soga (Soga monogat zue)*, circa 1843–47, we witness a pivotal moment: Soga no Jūrō and Soga no Gor ambushing their father's murderer, Kudō Suketsune. Hiroshige, a master of the ukiyo-e tradition renowned for his evocative landscapes, here channels the dramatic intensity of kabuki theater and historical tales. The oban-sized print (35.5 × 24.9 cm) captures the brothers' stealthy attack amid a snowy night, their figures poised in tension against a stark, moonlit backdrop. The Soga Brothers legend, roo...
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...