Artwork

東都名所 品川大井 八景坂鎧掛松|Shinagawa Hakkei Zaka

東都名所 品川大井 八景坂鎧掛松|Shinagawa Hakkei Zaka, by Utagawa Hiroshige, ink, 1828
東都名所 品川大井 八景坂鎧掛松|Shinagawa Hakkei Zaka, by Utagawa Hiroshige, ink, 1828

東都名所 品川大井 八景坂鎧掛松|Shinagawa Hakkei Zaka is an ink print by the Romanticist artist Utagawa Hiroshige. It dates from 1828 and is held in the collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art.

About this work

Overview

This 1828 woodblock print, *Shinagawa Hakkei Zaka*, is a landscape work by Utagawa Hiroshige, a prominent ukiyo-e artist of the Edo period. Executed in ink and color on paper, it captures a serene riverside scene in Edo’s Shinagawa district.

Subject & Meaning

The print depicts a bustling yet calm riverside moment, framing a dirt path with two large pine trees. Figures in simple attire traverse the road, while a bridge and a yellow-roofed building near the water add depth. The scene conveys a snapshot of everyday life.

Technique & Style

Hiroshige employs simple shapes and flat colors to suggest depth, integrating trees, people, and architecture into a unified, tranquil atmosphere. Bold blue and red borders outline the composition, set against a softly rendered pink and blue sky.

History & Provenance

Created in 1828 as part of Hiroshige’s Edo views series, *Shinagawa Hakkei Zaka* is now part of The Metropolitan Museum of Art’s collection.

Context

Unlike typical ukiyo-e focuses on urban pleasures, Hiroshige’s work emphasizes landscape, reflecting his distinctive approach within the genre.

Artist & collection

Portrait of Utagawa Hiroshige

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.