Ueno, from the illustrated book "Picture Book of Amusements of the East (Ehon Azuma asobi)"
c. 1802
Medium
Color woodblock print; double-page illustration from book
Dimensions
22.6 × 31.4 cm (8 15/16 × 12 3/8 in.)
Classification
woodblock print
Department
Arts of Asia
Museum
Art Institute of Chicago
Accession Number
33323
Art Historical Context
Katsushika Hokusai, the legendary Japanese artist renowned for his ukiyo-e woodblock prints, captures the vibrant spirit of Edo-period leisure in *Ueno, from the illustrated book "Picture Book of Amusements of the East (Ehon Azuma asobi)"* (c. 1802). This double-page color woodblock print showcases Ueno, a popular pleasure district in what is now Tokyo, likely bustling with cherry blossom viewers, festival-goers, and everyday revelers. As part of Hokusai's early *ehon* (picture book) series, it celebrates the "amusements of the East," offering a playful snapshot of urban life during Japan's Ed...
About the Artist
Katsushika Hokusai · 1760–1849
Katsushika Hokusai (1760-1849) stands as one of history's most influential artists, a Japanese master who revolutionized the ukiyo-e woodblock print tradition and profoundly shaped Western art. Born in the Katsushika district of Edo (modern-day Tokyo) to an artisan family, Hokusai lived through nearly nine decades of extraordinary creative evolution, adopting over thirty different artistic names t...