Hizen Province- Nagasaki by Utagawa Hiroshige

Hizen Province- Nagasaki Possibly 1856

print, ink, color-on-paper

print

graffiti art

street art

japan

mural art

handmade artwork painting

paste-up

ink

color-on-paper

spray can art

urban art

watercolour bleed

watercolour illustration

watercolor

"Hizen Province - Nagasaki" (c. 1856) is a classic woodblock print by renowned Japanese artist Utagawa Hiroshige (1797-1858), showcasing his mastery of landscapes and the beauty of his native Japan. This vertical ōban print depicts a dramatic seascape with a mountain range in the background, a rocky coastline, and a single, prominent sailboat in the foreground. The vibrant colors and delicate lines capture the tranquil beauty of the scene. This print is one of many in Hiroshige's "Fifty-Three Stations of the Tokaido Road," an influential series that documented the journey along a major route connecting Edo and Kyoto, captivating audiences with its artistic depictions of Japan's landscapes and everyday life.

Comments

minneapolisinstituteofart about 1 year ago

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No. 63 (Saikaidō group) on the content page for the series. The idea behind the series Famous Places of the Sixty-odd Provinces was to show one image for each of Japan's sixty-six provinces. Although some Japanese provinces are mountainous, the great majority are along the coasts where most people lived and worked. This print captures a bird's eye view of the west coast of Kyñshñ Island in southern Japan. V-shaped inlets lead to coastal plains from which mountains rise dramatically. In Hiroshige's composition, the boldly striped sail of a ship in the foreground gives a sense of distance to the shore.