Willow Shop (Yanagiya), from the series "A Series of Willows (Yanagi bantsuzuki)"
c. 1828
Medium
Color woodblock print; shikishiban, surimono
Dimensions
21.1 × 18.2 cm (8 5/16 × 7 3/16 in.)
Classification
woodblock print
Department
Arts of Asia
Museum
Art Institute of Chicago
Accession Number
81023
Art Historical Context
**Willow Shop (Yanagiya), from *A Series of WillowsYanagi bantsuzuki*)** Created around 1828 by Totoya Hokkei, a prominent ukiyo-e artist pupil of the legendary Katsushika Hokusai, this charming woodblock print captures the poetry of Edo-period Japan. Hokkei, active in the late 18th and early 19th centuries, in intimate landscapes and genre scenes, often infusing them with delicate natural motifs like willows, which symbolized grace and resilience in Japanese culture. Part of a series celebrating willow imagery—evoking seasonal beauty and urban life—this piece likely depicts a quaint shop nes...
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...