Kawasaki 1906

This is ‘Kawasaki’, a woodblock print made by Utagawa Hiroshige in the 19th century. The scene is visually dominated by a horizontal emphasis, from the long, low boat in the foreground, to the distant horizon line. The composition is meticulously structured. Hiroshige uses the boat as a strong diagonal to guide our eye into the scene, while the arrangement of figures and the subtle color gradations create depth and atmosphere. Note how the soft blues of the water contrast with the earth tones of the landscape. Hiroshige masterfully employs asymmetry, placing more weight on the left with dense trees, balancing it with Mount Fuji’s subtle presence on the right. This reflects a sophisticated understanding of spatial relationships and pictorial balance. It is an engagement with the formal possibilities of landscape, using line, form and colour to create a harmonious yet dynamic composition.