Who painted A View of the Great Bridge at Senju in Musashi Province?

A View of the Great Bridge at Senju in Musashi Province was painted by Shōtei Hokuju in 1824.

Where can I see A View of the Great Bridge at Senju in Musashi Province?

A View of the Great Bridge at Senju in Musashi Province is held by Cleveland Museum of Art.

What movement is A View of the Great Bridge at Senju in Musashi Province?

A View of the Great Bridge at Senju in Musashi Province is associated with Romanticism.

Artwork

A View of the Great Bridge at Senju in Musashi Province

Shōtei Hokuju , 1824

A View of the Great Bridge at Senju in Musashi Province is a print by the Romanticist artist Shōtei Hokuju. It dates from 1824 and is held in the collection of the Cleveland Museum of Art.

About this work

Overview

Created around 1824, this woodblock print by Shōtei Hokuju depicts a bustling riverside scene in Musashi Province. The composition centers on a long wooden bridge spanning tranquil water, with pedestrians, small vessels, and shoreline buildings arranged beneath a pale sky. The work is part of the collection of the Cleveland Museum of Art.

Subject & Meaning

The image records a typical day along the Great Bridge at Senju, illustrating the interaction of travel and commerce in an Edo‑period river town. Figures crossing the bridge and boats drifting below suggest the flow of people and goods, while the modest architecture and surrounding foliage convey a sense of ordinary urban life.

Technique & Style

Hokuju employs a restrained palette of flat tones for the bridge, water, and sky, contrasting with fine line work that renders the details of pedestrians and boat rigging. The bridge’s supports are rendered as simple stacked forms, and the woven texture of the boats is suggested with delicate cross‑hatching, reflecting the ukiyo‑e tradition of clear, readable design.

History & Provenance

The print was produced in the early nineteenth century, a period when Japanese woodblock artists frequently documented everyday scenes. It entered the Cleveland Museum of Art’s collection through acquisition in the twentieth century, where it remains an example of Hokuju’s contribution to genre prints of the Edo era.