Tea House and Fishing Farm by the Grand View of Kanto
early 19th century
Medium
Color woodblock print; surimono
Dimensions
21 × 17.6 cm (8 5/16 × 6 15/16 in.)
Classification
woodblock print
Department
Arts of Asia
Museum
Art Institute of Chicago
Accession Number
81043
Art Historical Context
Nestled in the Arts of Asia collection at the Art Institute of Chicago, *Tea House and Fishing Farm by the Grand View of Kanto* is a delicate color woodblock print by Totoya Hokkei, created in the early 19th century. Measuring just 21 × 17.6 cm, this intimate *surimono*—a type of privately commissioned print often produced for special occasions like New Year's—captures a serene landscape overlooking the expansive Kanto plain, a fertile region near Edo (modern-day Tokyo). Hokkei, a skilled pupil of the master Katsushika Hokusai, exemplifies the ukiyo-e tradition of "pictures of the floating wor...
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...