Moon Reflections on Rice Paddys at the foot of Kyōdai Mountain by Utagawa Hiroshige

Moon Reflections on Rice Paddys at the foot of Kyōdai Mountain Possibly 1853 - 1857

print, ink, color-on-paper

water colours

print

japan

mural art

handmade artwork painting

ink

fluid art

color-on-paper

spray can art

naive art

watercolour bleed

watercolour illustration

watercolor

watercolur painting

This woodblock print by Utagawa Hiroshige, titled *Moon Reflections on Rice Paddys at the foot of Kyōdai Mountain,* depicts a serene nighttime scene in Japan. The artist masterfully captures the reflection of the moon on the rice paddy fields, creating a mesmerizing visual effect. The print is a beautiful example of *ukiyo-e*, a style of Japanese art that flourished in the Edo period. *Moon Reflections on Rice Paddys at the foot of Kyōdai Mountain* is a stunning example of Hiroshige's signature artistic style. The composition is balanced and elegant, with the mountain and the moon taking center stage. The use of subtle color and detail adds depth and realism to the scene, making it a captivating work of art.

Comments

minneapolisinstituteofart about 1 year ago

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Between 1853 and 1856, Hiroshige designed sixty-nine prints inspired by famous views in each of sixty-six provinces that comprised the island of Honshu (plus additional prints for the islands of Shikoku and Kyushu and the city of Edo). The view of the moon rising from behind Mt. Kyōdai was made famous as early as the 10th century when a verse about it was included in the imperial poetry anthology Kokinwakashu. Hiroshige was probably also aware of the famous itinerate poet Matsuo Bashō's account of his trip to Sarashina where he observed the moon from Mt. Obasute and where he heard a legend of an old woman abandoned in the mountains to die with the moon as her only companion. Here, Hiroshige cleverly captured the unusual site of the full moon reflected repeatedly in the terraced fields at the foot of Mt. Kyōdai as seen from Mt. Obasute.