Who painted 東海道五十三次之内四日市三重川|Yokkaichi, Sanchokawa?

東海道五十三次之内四日市三重川|Yokkaichi, Sanchokawa was painted by Utagawa Hiroshige in 1834.

Where can I see 東海道五十三次之内四日市三重川|Yokkaichi, Sanchokawa?

東海道五十三次之内四日市三重川|Yokkaichi, Sanchokawa is held by Metropolitan Museum of Art.

What movement is 東海道五十三次之内四日市三重川|Yokkaichi, Sanchokawa?

東海道五十三次之内四日市三重川|Yokkaichi, Sanchokawa is associated with Romanticism.

Artwork

東海道五十三次之内四日市三重川|Yokkaichi, Sanchokawa

Utagawa Hiroshige , 1834

東海道五十三次之内四日市三重川|Yokkaichi, Sanchokawa 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

Utagawa Hiroshige’s woodblock print titled *Yokkaichi, Sanchokawa* belongs to his early‑1830s series *The Fifty‑three Stations of the Tōkaidō*. Executed in ink and color on paper, the image follows the series’ characteristic horizontal format and records a moment on the coastal road that linked Edo and Kyoto.

Subject & Meaning

The scene captures a storm‑tossed riverbank where a lone pine, bent by wind, stands beside a shallow channel. A figure in a wide‑brimmed hat leans forward, urging a small boat against the current, while other vessels, a bridge, and distant buildings populate the composition under a dark, swirling sky.

Technique & Style

Hiroshige employs swift, sketch‑like lines to convey the motion of the wind‑bent tree and rippling water. The palette combines deep blues for sky and river with muted earth tones for land, while the use of ink outlines and layered color exemplifies the ukiyo‑e woodblock method.

History & Provenance

Created around 1834, the print is part of the larger Tōkaidō series that documented each post station along the route. It entered the collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art, where it is currently conserved and displayed.

Context

During the 1830s Hiroshige helped shift ukiyo‑e from depictions of urban pleasure quarters to everyday landscapes, emphasizing atmospheric conditions and ordinary travel scenes. *Yokkaichi, Sanchokawa* illustrates this transition by focusing on weather, labor, and the natural environment rather than courtly or theatrical subjects.

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.