The Precincts of Naritasan Temple in Shimosa Province (Shimosa Naritasan keidai), from the series "One Hundred Famous Views in the Various Provinces (Shokoku meisho hyakkei)"
Medium
Color woodblock print; oban
Dimensions
35.2 × 23.2 cm (13 7/8 × 9 1/8 in.)
Classification
Department
Arts of Asia
Museum
Art Institute of Chicago
Accession Number
57265
Art Historical Context
This color woodblock print by Utagawa Hiroshige II captures the lively precincts of Naritasan Temple in Shimosa Province, part of his ambitious 1859 series “One Hundred Famous Views in the Various Provinces.” Created as Japan stood on the cusp of the Meiji era, the image reflects the enduring popularity of “famous-place” (meisho) prints that encouraged armchair travel among a growing urban audience. Hiroshige II, who trained under the celebrated Hiroshige I, continued his teacher’s tradition of atmospheric landscapes enlivened by everyday human activity. Printed in the oban format using multi...
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...