Artwork

百人一首うばがゑとき伊勢|Poem by Ise, from the series One Hundred Poems Explained by the Nurse (Hyakunin isshu uba ga etoki)

百人一首うばがゑとき伊勢|Poem by Ise, from the series One Hundred Poems Explained by the Nurse (Hyakunin isshu uba ga etoki) is an ink print by the Japonisme artist Katsushika Hokusai. It dates from 1839 and is held in the collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art.

About this work

Overview

Katsushika Hokusai’s 1839 woodblock print, part of the series One Hundred Poems Explained by the Nurse, depicts a bustling rooftop scene.

Katsushika Hokusai’s 1839 woodblock print, part of the series One Hundred Poems Explained by the Nurse, depicts a bustling rooftop scene. A group of figures occupies a sloping tiled roof, some seated beneath a wooden canopy, others engaged in repair work. In the distance, a tranquil landscape of fields, pathways, and water stretches beneath a softly colored sky, while pink blossoms gather in the lower left corner.

Subject & Meaning

The composition visualizes a poem by the Heian poet Ise, translating the verse’s reference to a rooftop gathering into a lively genre scene. The juxtaposition of laborers and idle observers suggests a balance between work and leisure, reflecting everyday urban life while echoing the poem’s contemplation of communal moments.

Technique & Style

Executed in traditional ukiyo‑e woodblock technique, the print combines line work with ink and color applied to paper. Hokusai employs fine cross‑hatching to render texture on the roof tiles and figures, while broader washes create atmospheric depth in the distant landscape. The palette of warm sky tones and vivid pink flowers enhances the seasonal ambience.

History & Provenance

Created in 1839, the print is one of several illustrations Hokusai produced for the Hyakunin isshu uba ga etoki series, which paired classic poems with visual commentary. It entered the collection of The Metropolitan Museum of Art, where it remains part of the museum’s Japanese prints holdings.

Context

The work belongs to the late Edo period, a time when ukiyo‑e artists frequently illustrated literary texts for a growing literate audience. Hokusai’s engagement with the Hyakunin isshu—a canonical anthology of one hundred poems—demonstrates the era’s interest in merging poetry and visual culture.