De Onmaya oever 1857

Curator: Standing before us is Utagawa Hiroshige’s “De Onmaya oever” completed in 1857. A woodblock print, an intimate window into Edo-period Japan held within the Rijksmuseum's collection. Editor: It feels so…damp! In a good way. You can almost smell the river air and feel the light drizzle on your face. There's this immediate sense of stillness, but it’s charged. Curator: Indeed. The dampness you sense likely arises from the subtle gradations in color achieved through sophisticated printing techniques, capturing the ephemeral atmosphere. Notice how the soft blues of the water contrast with the deeper indigo sky suggesting rain, and then, of course, the compositional choices. Editor: That leaning tree on the right really anchors the scene, doesn't it? Its branches reaching into the sky and almost caressing the figures in the boat. They’re really small! Everything looks really small when facing water I guess, and time... the artist managed to frame them beautifully so we focus on them. Like we are there. Curator: Yes, the diminutive figures in the boat emphasize the vastness of nature, a recurring theme in Ukiyo-e prints. But even in their scale there is a narrative; carefully considered spatial relationships reveal societal dynamics and power. It is semiotically loaded with meaning in addition to aesthetic pleasure. Editor: That's a perspective I didn’t have but now that you mentioned I see those dynamics right away; It's quite poetic to observe the interplay of human life within a panoramic frame, but it also whispers of their fragility. Almost all elements are facing downwards and the willow tree facing up breaks the rules making this artwork sing. Is this some kind of a nod to existentialism from his side? Curator: Perhaps. The reflective qualities of water coupled with the subdued palette, contribute to an almost meditative state. Editor: Now you mention it… there’s a contemplative quality to it, absolutely. It evokes memories I haven’t had or lost feelings. I now feel compelled to simply breathe slowly, reflect, and observe the water with those gentle travellers in their fragile boat. Curator: A journey on water for us all! Editor: What a great experience. Thank you for walking me through Hiroshige’s beautiful piece.