Twilight Snow at Uchikawa by Utagawa Hiroshige

Twilight Snow at Uchikawa c. 1835 - 1839

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print, ink, woodblock-print

print

asian-art

landscape

ukiyo-e

ink

woodblock-print

orientalism

Dimensions 8 3/4 × 13 7/8 in. (22.3 × 35.2 cm) (image, horizontal ōban)

This is Twilight Snow at Uchikawa, a woodblock print by Utagawa Hiroshige, made in the 19th century. Observe how Hiroshige arranges the scene: the stark white of the snow-covered landscape contrasts dramatically with the tranquil blue of the water, divided by the sharp, horizontal line of the shoreline. This division creates a sense of depth, pulling the viewer into the serene scene. The diagonal slope in the foreground leads the eye from the two figures wrapped in straw mats towards the village, and then up to the distant mountains. Hiroshige employs negative space masterfully, using the snow-laden sky to emphasize the delicate branches of the trees. The subtle gradation of color in the sky, from grey to a lighter hue, suggests the fading light of twilight. Through these formal arrangements, the artwork invites a contemplation of space, depth, and the quiet beauty of a winter's evening. The work encapsulates the traditional Japanese aesthetic of finding profound beauty in simplicity, demonstrating how composition and form can elicit a rich emotional response.

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minneapolisinstituteofart over 1 year ago

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The Eight Views of Kanazawa were designated by the Chinese monk Tøkø Shin'estu (1639-95), who visited Japan in the late seventeenth century. Kanazawa is a seaside town near the modern city of Yokohama. Thus, this series features eight different costal landscapes near Kanazawa. For the theme of "evening snow," Hiroshige pictured the nearby hamlet of Uchikawa across the bay, because this vantage point also afforded a view of the hills in the distance that resemble Mount Hira in Ømi Province-a reference to the earlier Eight Views of Ømi. While including the traditional "evening snow" motifs, Hiroshige also added the local color of Mutsuura, the village depicted in the foreground. The village had a long history of salt production and the small huts that dot the lowlands near the bay were used for boiling seawater to extract salt.