Artwork
歌川広重画 雪中芦に鴨|Mallard Duck and Snow-covered Reeds
歌川広重画 雪中芦に鴨|Mallard Duck and Snow-covered Reeds is an ink print by the Romanticist artist Utagawa Hiroshige. It dates from 1832 and is held in the collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art.
About this work
Overview
Mallard Duck and Snow-covered Reeds is a woodblock print created by Utagawa Hiroshige around 1832, deviating from the traditional ukiyo-e focus on urban landscapes to explore the natural world.
Subject & Meaning
The print captures a serene moment with a mallard duck in mid-flight over snow-covered reeds, emphasizing seasonal and atmospheric effects, characteristic of Hiroshige's observational approach to nature.
Technique & Style
Hiroshige employed simple, bold colors (notably bright yellow, black, and white for the duck, set against a soft blue-gray sky) and clean lines to convey calmness, with the duck's outstretched wings suggesting a gliding motion.
History & Provenance
Created circa 1832, this work is part of Hiroshige's broader output that includes renowned landscape series such as *The Fifty-three Stations of the Tōkaidō* and *One Hundred Famous Views of Edo*.
Context
Within the ukiyo-e tradition, this piece stands out for its departure from urban themes, instead reflecting Hiroshige's unique interest in the serene and the seasonal aspects of the natural world.
Legacy
While specific legacy details of *Mallard Duck and Snow-covered Reeds* are not provided, it contributes to Hiroshige's overall impact on the evolution of ukiyo-e, particularly in the emphasis on landscape and natural subjects.
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.
