Artwork

魚づくしかさごいさきに生姜|Isaki and Kasago Fish, from the series Uozukushi (Every Variety of Fish)

魚づくしかさごいさきに生姜|Isaki and Kasago Fish, from the series Uozukushi (Every Variety of Fish) is an ink print by the Romanticist artist Utagawa Hiroshige. It dates from 1834 and is held in the collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art.

About this work

Overview

Utagawa Hiroshige produced the woodblock print *Isaki and Kasago Fish* around 1834 as part of his *Uozukushi* series, which catalogues a range of fish species. Executed with ink and color on paper, the work presents two distinct fish positioned side by side against an unadorned background, illustrating Hiroshige’s interest in natural subjects beyond his more famous travel scenes.

Subject & Meaning

The composition features an isaki, a bright‑red fish with a large eye and elongated, feathery tail, and a kasago, a darker‑gray fish with fine scales and a modest tail. By juxtaposing the lively, forward‑moving posture of the isaki with the calm, stationary pose of the kasago, the print highlights contrasting behaviors within the aquatic world.

Technique & Style

Hiroshige employs bold outlines and simplified forms to define each fish, while short, rapid strokes convey texture on scales and fins. The limited color palette—primarily reds and grays—enhances the visual separation of the two subjects. The neutral backdrop serves to focus attention on the anatomical details rendered through careful line work.

Context

Created during the late Edo period, the print reflects a broader trend in ukiyo‑e toward depicting everyday and natural subjects. While Hiroshige is best known for landscape series such as *The Fifty‑three Stations of the Tōkaidō*, works like this demonstrate his versatility and the genre’s expanding thematic range.

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.