Act VI c. 1843 - 1847

Utagawa Hiroshige created this woodblock print, Act VI, sometime before 1858. Hiroshige lived through a time of strict social hierarchy in Japan. His art captured landscapes and everyday life, often reflecting the experiences of common people. Here, we see travelers on a rural road, including porters carrying a passenger in a covered palanquin. The figures embody a sense of movement and perhaps the physical demands of their journey. What can easily be missed is how class is interwoven in this artwork. The palanquin symbolizes the carried person’s higher social status, contrasting with the laborers. Hiroshige’s work often evokes a deep emotional connection to the land, a connection deeply rooted in Japanese cultural identity. However, it also tells of the lives of people moving through it, each with their own stories. Hiroshige uses traditional representations of Japanese life while subtly acknowledging the socioeconomic realities of his time, inviting us to consider the diverse human experiences within these landscapes.