New Year's Eve Foxfires at the Changing Tree by Utagawa Hiroshige

New Year's Eve Foxfires at the Changing Tree Possibly 1857 - 1859

print, woodblock-print

water colours

print

asian-art

landscape

ukiyo-e

woodblock-print

This woodblock print, "New Year's Eve Foxfires at the Changing Tree," is a stunning example of the work of renowned Japanese artist Utagawa Hiroshige. Created in the late 1850s, the print depicts a scene of foxfires burning near a bare winter tree under a starry night sky. Foxfires, believed to be a mystical phenomenon in Japanese folklore, add an element of magic and wonder to the scene. The use of soft colors and delicate lines are characteristic of Hiroshige's style, highlighting the subtle beauty of a winter landscape. The print, housed at the Minneapolis Institute of Art, is a captivating example of the artist's mastery of the ukiyo-e genre.

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minneapolisinstituteofart about 1 year ago

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Most prints in Hiroshige’s One Hundred Views of Edo illustrate actual views, but this scene is imaginary. In Shinto belief, foxes are messengers of the gods and protectors of shrines dedicated to Inari, the god of grain. Ōji Shrine, in what is now the northern section of Tokyo, is one of the most important Inari shrines in Japan. According to legend, foxes from throughout eastern Japan journey there to pay their respects to Inari on New Year’s Eve. They gather at a nearby hackberry tree and don formal clothes for the event. Foxes’ supernatural power enables them to emit the mysterious small flames seen here. White foxes are supposed to be especially old and potent. Hiroshige pictured the foxes beneath the ancient tree, their small fires eerily illuminating their pale bodies. Shades of gray create an evocative atmosphere for the supernatural scene.