Artwork
歌川広重画 蔦に柄長鳥|Long-tailed Tit on Autumn Ivy
歌川広重画 蔦に柄長鳥|Long-tailed Tit on Autumn Ivy is an ink print by the Romanticist artist Utagawa Hiroshige. It dates from 1835 and is held in the collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art.
About this work
Overview
This woodblock print, Long-tailed Tit on Autumn Ivy, was created by Utagawa Hiroshige around 1835. It is a hosoban-format print made with ink and color on paper.
Subject & Meaning
The print depicts a long-tailed tit perched on autumn ivy, surrounded by clusters of red and purple leaves against a soft blue sky. The scene is delicate and precise, with the vine twisting around the bird.
Technique & Style
Hiroshige used a mix of bold colors and fine lines to render the leaves and the bird's feathers, creating a sense of naturalism. The artist's use of color and linework gives the scene a sense of delicacy and precision.
Context
Hiroshige was a prominent ukiyo-e artist known for his landscape series, such as The Fifty-three Stations of the Tōkaidō. He often depicted nature and scenes outside the typical ukiyo-e focus on urban entertainment.
Artist & collection
Artist
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.
