The Great Harbor in London, England (Egirisu, Rondon taiko)
Medium
Color woodblock print; oban triptych
Classification
woodblock print
Department
Arts of Asia
Museum
Art Institute of Chicago
Accession Number
32376
Art Historical Context
Step into the bustling world of 19th-century London through the eyes of Utagawashige II (Shigenobu), a master of Japan's ukiyo-e tradition. This vibrant 1862 color woodblock print, titledThe Great Harbor in London, England* (Egirisu, Rondon taiko), captures the expansive docks teeming with ships, workers, and the smoky energy of Victorian England. Hiroshige II, who succeeded his famous mentor Utagawa Hirosh I, was renowned for his evocative landscapes, blending delicate lines with atmospheric depth to evoke mood and movement. Created as an oban triptych—three large panels that unfold into a p...
About the Artist
Utagawa Hiroshige II (Shigenobu) · 1826–1869
Utagawa Hiroshige II, born Suzuki Chinpei in 1826, was one of the most accomplished ukiyo-e artists of mid-nineteenth century Japan. He entered the studio of the celebrated landscape master Utagawa Hiroshige I — known for his iconic series "The Fifty-three Stations of the Tokaido" — and proved himself the most talented of the elder artist's few students. So highly regarded was the young pupil that...