Antique Original Japanese Woodblock Print by Hiroshige - Yotsuya Naito Shinjuku- c.1857
This beautiful Japanese full oban-size woodblock print was created in 1857 by the renowned Edo-period artist Utagawa (Ando) Hiroshige (1797-1858), probably the second most important Japanese Ukiyo-e artist after Hokusai. He is celebrated for his landscape woodblock prints, which depict famous places, seasonal scenery, and daily life with clarity, refined color, and strong composition.
The print is titled "Naito, New Station at Yotsuya" (Yotsuya Naito Shinjuku) from the series "One Hundred Famous Views of Edo" (Meisho Edo hyakkei), No.86 from the series.
"One Hundred Famous Views of Edo" is a series of 119 ukiyo-e prints begun and largely completed by the Japanese artist Hiroshige (1797–1858), of Edo, the historical name for Tokyo. The prints were first published in serialized form in 1856–59, with Hiroshige II completing the series after Hiroshige's death. The series was tremendously popular and widely reprinted. This, however, is an original print from the period.
One of the most unusual views of the series, between a horse's legs, looking at the inns and shops in Shinjuku. Naitō Shinjuku was a small post town, a stop on the road outside Edo (now Tokyo) for long-distance travelers. This modest place would boom in later centuries and has become Shinjuku, a major commercial center in the heart of modern Tokyo.
Here, Hiroshige shows the horses and horse droppings outside of a small line of shops and brothels. Utagawa Hiroshige is known for his clever and surprising designs. In this work, the viewer is invited to peer below and beyond the rear ends of a group of horses. The effect seems almost photographic in its suggestion of a real moment and, at the same time, fantastic in its exaggerated emphasis. This is a good example of Hiroshige's humor.
The print was made in 1857 using the Japanese woodblock technique, during Utagawa (Ando) Hiroshige's lifetime. Published by Sakanaya (Uoya) Eikichi with their seal on the left margin.
AUTHOR: Utagawa (Ando) Hiroshige
TITLE: "Naito, New Station at Yotsuya" (Yotsuya Naito Shinjuku)
SERIES: One Hundred Famous Views of Edo: (Meisho Edo Hyakke)
CREATED: 1857
PUBLISHER: Sakanaya (Uoya) Eikichi
PAPER: washi paper
METHOD OF PRINTING: Woodblock printing
PRINTED: Lifetime printing circa 1857
PRINT SIZE: 13.75" X 9.5"
The condition is very good. Good detail and color; some toning and soiling. There are some holes and tears on the margins that do not affect the actual picture area. The margins are partially trimmed.
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