72 The Ferry at Haneda and the Benten Shrine 1857

Utagawa Hiroshige created ‘The Ferry at Haneda and the Benten Shrine’ as a woodblock print, with an original emphasis on line, color, and composition. The structure of the print immediately grabs attention through its unusual, almost asymmetrical composition. The artist uses the foreground elements to frame the distant view. The arms and the boat’s structure on the left serve as a barrier, which guide the viewer's eyes towards the serene landscape beyond, where water and sky meet. The use of perspective, with objects diminishing in size, creates depth, drawing us into the scene. Hiroshige destabilizes traditional landscape art by focusing not on the landscape itself, but on the act of viewing. The print is not just about Haneda; it's about how we experience space and place through framed perspectives. There's a playful tension between what's immediately present and what's subtly revealed. The emphasis on the compositional elements encourages contemplation.