Utagawa Hiroshige, Andō Tokutarō, Ichiyusai, Utashige, Ichiyōsai

Place: Edo (Now Tokyo)

Born: 1797

Death: 1858

Biography:

Utagawa Hiroshige, also known as Andō Tokutarō, Ichiyusai, Utashige, and Ichiyōsai, was a renowned Japanese ukiyo-e artist born in Edo (now Tokyo) in 1797. He is considered the last great master of the ukiyo-e tradition, best known for his horizontal-format landscape series The Fifty-three Stations of the Tōkaidō and for his vertical-format landscape series One Hundred Famous Views of Edo.

Life and Career

Utagawa Hiroshige's work was atypical of the ukiyo-e genre, focusing on landscapes rather than the traditional subjects of beautiful women, popular actors, and urban pleasure districts. His approach was more poetic and ambient than Hokusai's, with subtle use of color and labor-intensive techniques such as multiple impressions and bokashi (color gradation). Ukiyo-e artists typically specialized in printmaking rather than painting, and Hiroshige's work was no exception.

Notable Works

Some of Utagawa Hiroshige's most notable works include:

• Rain at Azuma Bridge below Kinryūzan Temple in Asakusa, a woodblock print housed at the Bristol Museum - Art Gallery (Bristol, United Kingdom)
• Kusatsu, a wood engraving housed at the Museo de Bellas Artes de Bilbao (Bilbao, Spain)
• Fuchu, a wood engraving housed at the Museo de Bellas Artes de Bilbao (Bilbao, Spain)

Influence and Legacy

Utagawa Hiroshige's work had a significant influence on western European painting in the late 19th century as part of the Japonism trend. Artists such as Manet, Monet, and Vincent van Gogh studied and collected Hiroshige's compositions. For more information on Utagawa Hiroshige and his works, visit Utagawa Hiroshige's page on Wikioo.org. You can also explore the Ukiyo-e Art Movement and its history on Wikioo.org.