Tsuten-kyo Bridge, Tofuku Temple, Kyoto (Kyoto Tofukuji Tsutenkyo bashi) from the series “One Hundred Famous Views in the Various Provinces (Shokoku meisho hyakkei)”
Medium
Color woodblock print
Dimensions
Overall: 35 × 24.2 cm (13 3/4 × 9 1/2 in.); 34.3 × 22.3 cm (13 1/2 × 8 3/4 in.)
Classification
woodblock print
Department
Arts of Asia
Museum
Art Institute of Chicago
Accession Number
196732
Art Historical Context
This color woodblock print by Utagawa Hiroshige II captures the graceful Tsuten-kyo Bridge at Tofuku-ji Temple in Kyoto. Created in 1859 as part of the ambitious series “One Hundred Famous Views in the Various Provinces,” the work belongs to the rich tradition of ukiyo-e landscape prints that flourished during Japan’s late Edo period. Hiroshige II, who studied under the celebrated Hiroshige I, continued his teacher’s focus on atmospheric scenery and seasonal beauty, translating the quiet elegance of temple grounds into a portable format for a growing audience of travelers and collectors. Wood...
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...