Artwork
東海道五十三次之内 関 本陣早立|Seki, Honjin Sotatsu
東海道五十三次之内 関 本陣早立|Seki, Honjin Sotatsu 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
This woodblock print, Seki Honjin Sotatsu, is part of Utagawa Hiroshige's series The Fifty-three Stations of the Tōkaidō, created around 1834. It depicts a scene from the Tokaido road's fifty-third station.
Subject & Meaning
The print shows a serene riverside scene at night, with people eating and socializing under a covered porch, while others interact near boats docked beside a wooden pier. The calm atmosphere and lively details, such as bright lanterns and patterned banners, convey a sense of daily life.
Technique & Style
Executed in ink and color on paper, the print features bold colors and simple shapes, characteristic of Hiroshige's landscape style within the ukiyo-e genre. The horizontal format is typical of the series.
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.
