Hiroshige

From the author of Hokusai: A Life in Drawing comes this illuminating account of Utagawa Hiroshige (1797–1858), the last great artist of the ukiyo-e tradition. Ukiyo-e, meaning ‘images of the floating world’, was a ubiquitous genre of Japanese woodblock prints during Japan’s Edo period, often depicting popular actors, sumo wrestlers, beautiful women and majestic landscapes. Hiroshige’s serene, atmospheric prints stood out from those of his predecessors, capturing the essence of the world around him, and eventually gained widespread acclaim in Europe and America, influencing western European artists like Manet, Monet and van Gogh.

This book offers a fascinating look at Hiroshige’s life and work, tracing the journey of a fire warden who turned to printmaking later in life. It invites readers to follow in Hiroshige’s footsteps through 19th-century Tokyo, discovering the iconic landscapes he immortalized while traveling the famed Tokaido and Kiso Kaido roads. It features an exceptional selection of works accompanied by vivid text, drawing from Hiroshige’s diaries, his talent for humorous poetry, taste for travel (with all its pleasures and challenges) and deep affinity for the natural world.

In making accessible a deep understanding of Hiroshige’s body of work, this volume transports readers to Edo, Japan, via the artist's timeless prints.

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