The Great Fire at Ryōgoku Bridge, Viewed from Asakusa Bridge on the 26th of January, 1881 1881

This woodblock print by Kobayashi Kiyochika captures the Great Fire at Ryōgoku Bridge in 1881. The dominant visual experience is a fiery spectacle, with the color red permeating nearly every inch of the composition, evoking a sense of overwhelming heat and chaos. Kiyochika masterfully uses the diagonal lines of the flames to draw our eyes upward, creating a dynamic tension between the destruction above and the dark, grounded figures below. The composition destabilizes the traditional landscape, replacing natural beauty with an image of urban disaster. The artist disrupts the picture plane with bold lines and a stark contrast between light and shadow, challenging our perception. The intense red not only signifies the obvious danger but also disrupts traditional Japanese aesthetics, perhaps mirroring the social and cultural upheavals of the Meiji era. Consider how Kiyochika uses color and form to convey not just a scene, but a commentary on change and impermanence.