| Ando Hiroshige (1797-1858) is generally considered | | | | one holding an umbrella. The countryside is heavily |
| the greatest Ukiyo-e artist (together with the | | | | veiled in rain with the town Shono barely visible. |
| great Hokusai) of the landscape genre. He was a | | | | In this dynamic composition Hiroshige has |
| son of an Edo (today's Tokyo) firewarden and | | | | divided the space in audacious triangles of varying |
| although he succeeded on an early age to his | | | | depth with the two groups of figures running in |
| father's hereditary post the attraction of | | | | opposite directions out of the frame. Hiroshige |
| becoming a woodblock designer dominated. He | | | | creates a perspective depth using different |
| became a student of Utagawa Toyohiro | | | | shades of black on the bamboo forest effectively |
| (1773-1828) and studied the classical tradition of | | | | contrasting with the overall colour composition |
| the Kano painting style. Hiroshige was also very | | | | giving it an almost idyllic feel. |
| much interested and influenced by the Western | | | | Plum Orchard in Kameido (a.k.a. Plum Garden) |
| artists and their view on depicting the landscape | | | | (Print 30 in the series 'One-Hundred Views on |
| and the perspective. The following five | | | | Edo' ) |
| woodblock designs are from two of Hiroshige's | | | | Hiroshige's Plum Garden is a perfect example of |
| finest contributions to Japanese art, namely his | | | | the symbiotic exchange between the artists of |
| series 'Fifty-three Stations of the Tokaido' | | | | the East and the West. In this daring composition |
| (c.1833-34) and 'One Hundred Famous on | | | | (and in many others in this series) Hiroshige applies |
| Edo' (c.1856-59) | | | | the repoussoir device, which was a common |
| Nocturnal Snowfall in Kambara (Station 16 in the | | | | technique in Western art, placing a large plum-tree |
| series 'Fifty-three Stations of the Tokaido' ) | | | | to the foreground with the twigs dividing the |
| Hiroshige was fascinated by the realism of | | | | image in seperate parts. The visitors in the |
| photography and the possibilities of incorporating | | | | background, who enjoy the sight of these trees, |
| its compositions to his woodblock designs. One | | | | almost look like little puppets. The red of the sky |
| of his best known examples is the Sudden | | | | and the green of the landscape represent the |
| Shower print which along with his Plum Garden | | | | two major contrasting hues and enhance the |
| design inspired Van Gogh. Hiroshige depicts six | | | | impression of uniqueness expressed by the |
| townspeople caught in a sudden downpour on the | | | | picture. The print is probably best known as a |
| Ohashi bridge. On the Sumida river a raftsman, | | | | model for Vincent van Gogh's copy in oils. |
| wearing a straw raincoat, tries to control his raft | | | | Sudden Shower at Ohashi (a.k.a. Sudden |
| through the fast running water. A rather traditional | | | | Shower) (Print 52 in the series 'One-Hundred |
| scene depicting the town of Kambara covered | | | | Views on Edo' ) |
| under a thick white blanket of snow. On the right | | | | The vertical lines of the rain accentuated by the |
| of the image two travellers walking uphill just | | | | vertical format of the print are masterfully |
| passed by a local residant who's holding an | | | | counterbalanced by the diagonal lines of the bridge |
| umbrella. All three are trudging through the snow | | | | on the foreground and the riverbank in the |
| leaving their footprints while large flakes fall from | | | | background. In an earlier impression (most |
| the dark sky. What makes this design so | | | | probably an earlier "proof" state!) two addtional |
| extraordinary is the minimal use of colour and the | | | | rafts are depicted. |
| skilful manner in which Hiroshige depicts snow | | | | Fox Fires on New Year's Eve at the Garment |
| giving this scene a forceful poetic effect. | | | | Nettle Tree at Oji (a.k.a. Fox fires) (Print 118 in |
| Strangely enough Kambara is situated near a | | | | the series 'One-Hundred Views on Edo' ) |
| warm stretch of coast, where it seldomly snows, | | | | The Foxfires design is the conclusive |
| so this scene probably represents an ebullition | | | | print Hiroshige produced for his 'One-Hundred |
| of Hiroshige's imagination. | | | | Views on Edo' -series, published shortly before his |
| Sudden Rainstorm at Shono (Station 46 in the | | | | death, and is the only one in the entire series that |
| series 'Fifty-three Stations of the Tokaido' ) | | | | involves the fantasy theme. This mysterious |
| In this most famous of all Hiroshige's prints some | | | | design is based on an old Japanese legend in which |
| inhabitants of Shono are overtaken by a sudden | | | | fox spirits (kitsune) gather around the Garment |
| downpour and are running for shelter. Two | | | | Nettle Tree on New Year's Eve. Hiroshige's terrific |
| palanquin bearers and their human freight are | | | | use of different shades of blue adds to the |
| running up the steep mountain accompanied by a | | | | ominous emanation. He often used Prussian blue in |
| basket-seller. Running down the mountain are a | | | | his work earning him the nickname "Blue |
| traveller and his servant with the latter | | | | Hiroshige". |