Artwork

東都名所 吉原夜桜の図|Yoshiwara Yo Zakura no Zu

東都名所 吉原夜桜の図|Yoshiwara Yo Zakura no Zu, by Utagawa Hiroshige, ink, 1841
東都名所 吉原夜桜の図|Yoshiwara Yo Zakura no Zu, by Utagawa Hiroshige, ink, 1841

東都名所 吉原夜桜の図|Yoshiwara Yo Zakura no Zu is an ink print by the Romanticist artist Utagawa Hiroshige. It dates from 1841 and is held in the collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art.

About this work

Overview

Utagawa Hiroshige's woodblock print Yoshiwara Yo Zakura no Zu, created around 1841, is a depiction of a nighttime scene in Edo's Yoshiwara pleasure district during cherry blossom season.

Subject & Meaning

The print shows a crowded street at night, with people walking and socializing under blooming cherry trees and red lanterns, capturing the intersection of natural beauty and urban life in Edo's famous licensed quarter.

Technique & Style

Executed in ink and color on paper, the work exemplifies the refined aesthetic of late Edo period ukiyo-e, with Hiroshige's characteristic attention to atmospheric detail and blending of landscape and urban themes.

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.