Gathering on the Bridge c. 19th century

Utagawa Hiroshige made this woodblock print, Gathering on the Bridge, in nineteenth-century Japan. It shows a procession of samurai warriors crossing a bridge, perhaps on their way to or from Edo, the seat of the Tokugawa shogunate. Looking at the image, we see visual codes of social hierarchy: the mounted samurai, likely a high-ranking official, is elevated above his retainers. The retainers carry spears, swords, and bows, signaling their military status. The bridge itself is a cultural reference, bridges were important sites for travel and commerce, but also for social and political gatherings. Hiroshige worked within a highly regulated art world. Woodblock prints were subject to censorship and were often used to promote the interests of the ruling elite. Despite these constraints, artists found ways to comment on the social structures of their time. As art historians, we might use historical documents, such as diaries, letters, and official records, to understand the social context of this image. By understanding these contexts we can interpret art as something contingent on social and institutional forces.