Gathering Shellfish at Low Tide at Shinagawa (Shinagawa shiohigari no zu) c. 1740s

"Gathering Shellfish at Low Tide at Shinagawa (Shinagawa shiohigari no zu)" is a ukiyo-e woodblock print created by Furuyama Moromasa in the 1740s. The print depicts a lively scene of people collecting shellfish at low tide in Shinagawa, a popular spot for this activity in Edo (modern Tokyo). The print shows a variety of people, from wealthy merchants to ordinary townspeople, engaged in the task. The print is a great example of ukiyo-e, a genre of Japanese art that flourished in the Edo period. It captures the everyday life of the Japanese people, highlighting the beauty of the natural world and the human interaction with it. This work is currently housed in The Art Institute of Chicago.