No. 25 c. 1835 - 1838

This print "No. 25" was created by Utagawa Hiroshige, sometime before his death in 1858. Here, we observe several figures traversing a rural landscape rendered in a palette of blues, greens, and earthy browns. Hiroshige employs bold, flat planes of color to delineate forms, like the flowing river and distant mountains. Note the repetitive, linear patterns used to depict the swaying reeds and the wooden bridge. These stylistic choices flatten the picture plane, emphasizing its two-dimensionality. The figures are simplified into stylized forms. They blend harmoniously with the surrounding environment. This reduction of form and emphasis on surface design reflect a broader artistic interest in exploring the essence of a scene rather than its mimetic representation. Hiroshige's work engages with the philosophical idea of perceiving nature through abstraction, inviting us to see beyond the surface and contemplate the underlying structures of the landscape.