Artwork

六十余州名所図会肥後五ヶの庄|Goka no Shō, Higo Province, from the series Views of Famous Places in the Sixty-Odd Provinces

六十余州名所図会肥後五ヶの庄|Goka no Shō, Higo Province, from the series Views of Famous Places in the Sixty-Odd Provinces is an ink print by the Romanticist artist Utagawa Hiroshige. It dates from 1853 and is held in the collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art.

About this work

Overview

This woodblock print, Goka no Shō, Higo Province, is part of a series by Utagawa Hiroshige depicting famous places across Japan's provinces. Created around 1853, it showcases the artist's skill in capturing serene landscapes.

Subject & Meaning

The print depicts a misty mountain landscape with a winding path, a lone traveler, and tall pine trees. The Japanese text on the right suggests a specific location, inviting the viewer to contemplate the scene.

Technique & Style

Hiroshige employed bold colors, including deep greens, warm browns, and pale blues, to evoke the mood of the scene. The use of ink and color on paper is characteristic of ukiyo-e, a genre Hiroshige helped shift towards landscape subjects.

Artist & collection

Artist

Utagawa Hiroshige

Utagawa Hiroshige (歌川広重) or Andō Hiroshige (安藤広重), born Andō Tokutarō (安藤徳太郎; 1797 – 12 October 1858), was a Japanese ukiyo-e artist, considered the last great master of that tradition.