The Sea off Satta in Suruga Province (Suruga Satta no kaijo), from the series "Thirty-six Views of Mount Fuji (Fuji sanjurokkei)"
Medium
Color woodblock print; oban
Dimensions
34.5 × 23 cm (13 9/16 × 9 1/16 in.)
Classification
woodblock print
Department
Arts of Asia
Museum
Art Institute of Chicago
Accession Number
60358
Art Historical Context
Utagawa Hiroshige (1797–1858), a master of ukiyo-e woodblock prints, created *The Sea off Satta Suruga Province* in 1858 as part of his renowned series *Thirty-six Views Mount Fuji*. This oban-sized color woodblock print (34.5 × 23 cm) captures a dramatic coastal scene along Japan's eastern shore, where turbulent waves crash against cliffs at Satta Pass in Suruga Province. Mount Fuji looms majestically in the background, its snow-capped peak piercing the stormy sky—a recurring motif symbolizing the sacred mountain's enduring presence in Japanese culture. Hiroshige's genius lies in his atmosph...
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...