Artwork

紅蜀葵に燕と川蝉図|Swallows and Kingfisher with Rose Mallows

紅蜀葵に燕と川蝉図|Swallows and Kingfisher with Rose Mallows, by Utagawa Hiroshige, ink, 1838
紅蜀葵に燕と川蝉図|Swallows and Kingfisher with Rose Mallows, by Utagawa Hiroshige, ink, 1838

紅蜀葵に燕と川蝉図|Swallows and Kingfisher with Rose Mallows is an ink print by the Romanticist artist Utagawa Hiroshige. It dates from 1838 and is held in the collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art.

About this work

Overview

Swallows and Kingfisher with Rose Mallows is a woodblock print created by Utagawa Hiroshige around 1838. It is a representative work of the artist's focus on natural subjects.

Subject & Meaning

The print depicts rose mallows, swallows, and a kingfisher, showcasing Hiroshige's attention to seasonal detail and his preference for nature and birds over traditional ukiyo-e subjects.

Technique & Style

Hiroshige employed bold colors and simple shapes to emphasize the natural beauty of the scene, with the birds and flowers being the primary focus.

Context

This work is part of Hiroshige's oeuvre that includes other notable series like The Fifty-three Stations of the Tōkaidō and One Hundred Famous Views of Edo, which also highlighted his skill in landscape and nature depiction.

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.