Material: ink and color on paper

Size: 9 x 14 inches

 

First, use this ink to see the full series of 55 images: click here. Each image can be clicked to show a larger view of the print.

​

Write down some impressions you get from looking at the whole series. What kinds of things do you notice? 

​

Pick at least three prints to focus on in your response paper. Make sure to tell me which three you chose! You don't need to include images. You can use the three above if you want, but I'm curious to see which ones might stand out to you.

 

Take a minute or two to look closely at the prints you picked. Write down your reaction to these objects--what details do you notice? Why did you pick these objects for your response paper? Make notes on things that you notice about them. Also, write down any questions you have about them--what kinds of things would you want to know about these objects? Remember the questions we ask in class. You don't need to have answers for these questions yet, but keep them in your notes.

​

What do we know about these objects?​

​

Hiroshige was a Japanese artist who lived from 1797-1858. He began painting as a teenager, and studied under a master of the ukiyo-e art, which was popular in Japan at the time. Ukiyo-e means "floating world". Ukiyo-e artists produced woodblock prints showing scenes of beautiful women (mainly courtesans), famous actors in the Japanese theater scene, famous sumo athletes. Landscape scenes or images of animals and plants were less common subjects. About twenty years after these prints were published, the United States forced Japan to open its borders to international trade (using "gunboat diplomacy"), and Hiroshige's prints were published throughout the world. European artists such as Monet and van Gogh were fascinated by the prints; van Gogh even painted a few copies of Hiroshige's work.

​

In the early 1830s Hiroshige traveled along the famous Tokaido road, which connected the two Japanese capitals, Edo and Kyoto. He made sketches along the way and afterward produced this series of 53 prints. Most people traveled along the Tokaido road on foot; women were not allowed to travel alone. Along the road were 53 post-stations, where a traveler could rest and obtain food and lodging. There were also towns, inns, and teahouses. The larger rivers were not crossed by a bridge, and travelers had to ferry across. Why 53 stations? The 53 stations were a metaphor for the journey of the Buddhist devotee Sudhana, an Indian youth who (according to Buddhist stories) set out to reach enlightenment and was taught by 53 spiritual masters or bodhisattvas during his journey. So the journey also had spiritual significance to some people.

​

This series of prints is fascinating in part because it provides a window into the lives of travelers along the road. Some are wealthy (the local lords, called daimyos) or famous (sumo wrestlers), with servants and other companions. Others are just ordinary travelers. Some prints show scenes in a town or city, while others show the landscape during different seasons. Mt. Fuji shows up several times, a major focus of Japanese art. This link may help you understand some of the bits and pieces of daily life in the prints: click here.

​

Some things to consider in your response paper:​

• What was your response to these objects? What drew your eye? What do you like about them, or dislike? You are encouraged to use first person (I/me) in your response paper. I want to know what you think.

• Consider the artistic details of these objects carefully. What kinds of decisions did Hiroshige make when he was creating these prints, and why? Use your art terminology. 

• What do these prints tell us about daily life in Japan in the 1830s? If you picked prints that show more landscape/natural scenes, what does that tell us about how the Japanese thought about nature? If you picked prints that focus more on people and urban locations, what do these scenes tell us about people's lives? What parts of daily life here are recognizable or relatable? Are there aspects of these prints that you still have questions about--elements of the culture that are hard to understand from images alone?

• These prints were mass-produced for the Japanese public, and this series (53 Stations on the Tokaido Road) was Hiroshige's first big success as an artist. Why do you think these were so popular?