Weeping Cherry
Medium
Woodblock print; ink and color on paper
Dimensions
8 7/8 x 6 1/2 in. (22.5 x 16.5 cm)
Classification
Prints
Culture & Period
Japan · Edo period (1615–1868)
Department
Asian Art
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
Bequest of Ellis G. Seymour, 1949
Accession Number
JP3152
Tags
Art Historical Context
Utagawa Hiroshige (1797–1858), a master of ukiyo-e woodblock prints during Japan's Edo period (16151868), created *Weeping Cherry*, a depiction of nature's fleeting beauty. This small-scale print (8 7/8 x 6 1/2 in.), rendered in vibrant ink and color on paper exemplifies the collaborative artistry of woodblock printing: Hiroshige's precise designs were carved into wooden blocks by specialists, then hand-printed to achieve luminous hues and subtle gradients. Produced in an era when such prints democratized art for everyday viewers, it reflects ukiyo-e's focus on the "floating world" of ephemera...
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...