Sunrise on New Year's Day at Kanazawa
early 19th century
Medium
Color woodblock print; surimono
Dimensions
21.2 × 18.5 cm (8 3/8 × 7 5/16 in.)
Classification
woodblock print
Department
Arts of Asia
Museum
Art Institute of Chicago
Accession Number
81139
Art Historical Context
**Sunrise on New Year's Day at Kanazawa** Totoya Hokkei captures the serene beauty of a fresh dawn in early 19th-century Japan Created during the Edo period, this intimate color woodblock print exemplifies Hokkei's mastery in the ukiyo-e tradition, where he followed in the footsteps of his teacher, Katsushika Hokusai. Hokkei specialized in surimono—luxurious, privately commissioned prints often produced for New Year's celebrations, featuring exquisite craftsmanship like subtle embossing, metallic pigments, and mica dusting to evoke a sense of festivity and renewal. Measuring just 21.2 × 18.5 ...
About the Artist
Totoya Hokkei · 1780–1850
Totoya Hokkei (魚屋 北渓, 1780–1850), born Iwakubo Tatsuyuki in Edo (modern Tokyo), began his life as a humble fishmonger in the Yotsuya Samegahashi district, a trade reflected in his art name "Totoya," meaning fish shop. He transitioned to art through rigorous training, first studying under Kanō Yōsen'in Korenobu, head of the Kobikichō branch of the prestigious Kanō school, where he honed landscape p...