The Drama of Light and Space: Landscapes by Hiroshige

Utagawa Hiroshige’s (1797–1858) skill as a woodblock print designer is evident in his brilliant reinvention of pictorial themes. Presented here, for example, are two versions of Eight Views of Ōmi (Ōmi Hakkei), a traditional series of landscape images surrounding Lake Biwa in Ōmi Province (Shiga Prefecture). In one set dating to around 1834, the artist presents the landscapes in horizontal format, conveying a sense of stillness. By contrast, a vertically oriented version published approximately twenty-three years later feels far more dynamic. What doesn’t change is the artist’s ability to achieve intense pictorial depth through his use of sweeping diagonals and tonal gradation. Not surprisingly, such landscape prints dominated the field of ukiyo-e throughout Hiroshige’s lifetime.

Funding for this exhibition is provided by the Robert F. Lange Foundation 

IMAGE
Utagawa Hiroshige (1797–1858). Autumn Moon at Ishiyama. From the series Eight Views of Ōmi. Japan, Edo period (1615–1868), c. 1834. Woodblock print; ink and color on paper. Gift of James A. Michener, 1991 (23214)