Artwork

魚づくし|Medetai Fush and Sasaki Bamboo, from the series Uozukushi (Every Variety of Fish)

魚づくし|Medetai Fush and Sasaki Bamboo, from the series Uozukushi (Every Variety of Fish) is an ink print by the Romanticist artist Utagawa Hiroshige. It dates from 1844 and is held in the collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art.

About this work

Overview

This woodblock print, created by Utagawa Hiroshige around 1844, is part of the series *Uozukushi (Every Variety of Fish)*. It deviates from the artist's typical landscape themes, instead emphasizing natural elements in a detailed composition.

Subject & Meaning

The print features a vibrant red fish with distinctive facial and tail features, surrounded by tall, dark green bamboo leaves and slender branches. The stark background highlights the subjects, drawing attention to their intricate rendering.

Technique & Style

Hiroshige employed ink and color on paper to achieve the piece's visual depth. Simple, expressive lines and subtle texture suggestions (e.g., tiny strokes for the fish's fins) characterize the work, inviting closer inspection of its naturalistic yet stylized elements.

History & Provenance

The print is currently held in the collection of The Metropolitan Museum of Art, underscoring its recognized artistic and historical value within Hiroshige's oeuvre.

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.