Visiting the Sanno Shrine
1824
Medium
Color woodblock print; shikishiban, surimono
Dimensions
19.8 × 16.8 cm (7 13/16 × 6 5/8 in.)
Classification
woodblock print
Department
Arts of Asia
Museum
Art Institute of Chicago
Accession Number
81486
Art Historical Context
"Visiting the Sanno Shrine" is a delicate color woodblock print created by Totoya Hokkei 1824, a master of the ukiyo-e tradition during Japan's Edo period Measuring just 19.8 × 16.8 cm, this shikishiban-format surimono exemplifies the intimate scale favored for private commissions. Hokkei, a of the renowned Katsushika Hokusai, brought his expertise in landscapes and genre scenes to this work, capturing a moment of devotion at the famed Sanno Shrine in Edo (modern Tokyo), a key Shinto site linked to imperial and shogunal worship. Surimono, meaning "printed things," were luxurious, limited-edit...
About the Artist
Totoya Hokkei · 1780–1850
Totoya Hokkei (魚屋 北渓, 1780–1850), born Iwakubo Tatsuyuki in Edo (modern Tokyo), began his life as a humble fishmonger in the Yotsuya Samegahashi district, a trade reflected in his art name "Totoya," meaning fish shop. He transitioned to art through rigorous training, first studying under Kanō Yōsen'in Korenobu, head of the Kobikichō branch of the prestigious Kanō school, where he honed landscape p...