Ishiyakushi c. 1832 - 1833

Utagawa Hiroshige created this woodblock print called ‘Ishiyakushi’ in 19th century Japan. It depicts a scene from daily life, with farmers working in the fields and travelers making their way along a road toward a village nestled at the foot of a mountain. In Japan at this time, the Tokugawa shogunate enforced a rigid social hierarchy, with farmers and artisans below the samurai and nobility. Hiroshige’s image subtly acknowledges this social structure through its emphasis on the labor of the common people, the very foundation of society. We can note the Ishiyakushi temple, perhaps a place for the farmers to pray for good health and harvests. Studying prints like this involves understanding the culture and time in which they were made. We need to consider the social conditions that shaped artistic production, asking questions about the public role of art, the politics of imagery, and the power of institutions such as the art market in Japan.