Yamashiro Province: The Togetsu Bridge in Mount Arashi (Yamashiro, Arashiyama Togetsukyo), from the series "Famous Places in the Sixty-odd Provinces (Rokujuyoshu meisho zue)"
Medium
Color woodblock print; oban
Classification
woodblock print
Department
Arts of Asia
Museum
Art Institute of Chicago
Accession Number
130534
Art Historical Context
Step across the Togetsu Bridge in this evocative woodblock print by Utagawa Hirosh, a master of Japan's ukiyo-e tradition. Created in 1853 as part of his series *Famous Places in the Sixty-odd ProvincesRokujuyoshu meisho zue)*, the artwork captures the iconic Arashiyama district in Yamashiro Province (modern-day Kyoto). Hiroshige depicts the graceful arch of the bridge spanning the Ōi River, framed by Mount Arashi's peaks and lush autumn foliage, with travelers pausing to admire the scene. This oban-sized color woodblock print exemplifies the genre's popularity during the Edo period, blending ...
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...