Artwork

Mt. Fuji and Mt. Ashigara from Numazu from the series Vertical Tokaido (or "Famous Places of the Fifty-three Stations of the Tōkaidō")

Mt. Fuji and Mt. Ashigara from Numazu from the series Vertical Tokaido (or "Famous Places of the Fifty-three Stations of the Tōkaidō") is an unspecified painting by the Ukiyo-e artist Utagawa Hiroshige. It dates from 1837 and is held in the collection of the Museum of Fine Arts, Houston.

About this work

Overview

Created circa 1837 by Utagawa Hiroshige, this vertical-format print is part of his series depicting scenes along the Tōkaidō, the historic road linking Edo and Kyoto. It portrays a winter view from Numazu, where the distant silhouette of Mt. Fuji dominates the sky above the nearer Mt. Ashigara, set against a quiet, snow‑laden landscape.

Subject & Meaning

The composition juxtaposes a solitary traveler in a bright yellow kimono with the expansive, mist‑veiled mountains, suggesting both the personal experience of travel and the enduring presence of Japan’s iconic peaks. The tranquil atmosphere invites contemplation of nature’s scale and the seasonal quiet of the road.

Technique & Style

Hiroshige employs delicate line work and a restrained palette of soft blues, grays, and whites to render snow and mist. Fine brushstrokes suggest the texture of drifts, while the vertical format emphasizes depth, guiding the eye from the foreground stream and bridge upward to the towering mountains.

History & Provenance

The print was produced as a woodblock illustration for the “Vertical Tōkaidō” series, a departure from Hiroshige’s earlier urban subjects toward landscape. It entered the museum’s collection through a mid‑20th‑century acquisition of Japanese prints, remaining an example of Edo‑period travel imagery.

Context

During the Edo period, the Tōkaidō road was a major conduit for travelers, merchants, and officials. Hiroshige’s series documented the route’s varied scenery, reflecting a growing public interest in travel and the natural world, and contributing to the broader ukiyo‑e shift toward landscape motifs.

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.