Artwork
歌川広重画 「京都名所之内 祇園社雪中」|The Gion Shrine in Snow, from the series Famous Views of Kyoto (Kyōto meisho no uchi)
歌川広重画 「京都名所之内 祇園社雪中」|The Gion Shrine in Snow, from the series Famous Views of Kyoto (Kyōto meisho no uchi) 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
The Gion Shrine in Snow is a woodblock print created by Utagawa Hiroshige around 1834, featuring ink and color on paper. It belongs to the series Famous Views of Kyoto, highlighting notable locations in the city.
Subject & Meaning
The print depicts a serene winter scene in Kyoto, with Gion Shrine as the central focus. Two women, distinctively dressed, walk under the shrine's torii gate amidst falling snow, conveying a sense of daily life intersecting with sacred space.
Technique & Style
Hiroshige employed bold, contrasting colors against a snowy backdrop to enhance visual appeal. The composition blends natural elements (snow-covered trees, falling snow) with architectural details (torii gate, fenced buildings), characteristic of his landscape-focused ukiyo-e style.
History & Provenance
Created during the late Edo period (around 1834), this work exemplifies Hiroshige's contribution to ukiyo-e as a leading artist known for capturing atmospheric urban and natural landscapes.
Context
As part of Famous Views of Kyoto, this print aimed to showcase the city's landmarks. The inclusion of everyday figures alongside the shrine highlights the coexistence of religious and secular life in Kyoto.
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.
京都名所之内 祇園社雪中|Gion Shrine in Snow
Snow at the Gion Shrine, from the series Famous Places in Kyoto
東都名所 神田明神境内雪晴之図|“Clear Weather after Snow in the Precincts of the Kanda Myōjin Shrine” (Kanda Myōjin keidai yukibare no zu), from the series Famous Places in the Eastern Capital (Tōto meisho)
江戸名所四十八景 神田明神|Kanda Temple Snow
東海道五十三次之内 蒲原 夜の雪|Evening Snow at Kanbara, from the series "Fifty-three Stations of the Tōkaidō"
冨嶽三十六景 礫川雪の旦|Morning after the Snow at Koishikawa in Edo (Koishikawa yuki no ashita), from the series Thirty-six Views of Mount Fuji (Fugaku sanjūrokkei)