Viewing Snow at the Uekiya Restaurant at Mokubo Temple (Mokuboji yukimi, Uekiya) from the series "Famous Restaurants of Edo (Edo komei kaitei zukushi)"
c. 1838/40
Medium
Color woodblock print; oban
Dimensions
26 × 38.1 cm (10 1/4 × 15 in.)
Classification
woodblock print
Department
Arts of Asia
Museum
Art Institute of Chicago
Accession Number
47887
Art Historical Context
In the enchanting woodblock print *Viewing Snow at the Uekiya Restaurant at Mokubo* (c. 1838–40), Utagawa Hiroige captures a serene winter moment from his series *Famous Restaurants of*. This oban-sized color woodblock print (26 × 38.1 cm) depicts figures gathered at the Uekiya restaurant near Mokubo Temple, savoring the beauty of falling snow. Hiroshige, a master of the ukiyo-e tradition, transforms an everyday urban outing into a poetic scene, highlighting the pleasures of Edo (modern Tokyo) life during the Edo period (1603–1868). The series celebrates the city's renowned eateries, reflecti...
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...