Hiroshige | Abuto, Kannon Temple, Famous Places in the 60 Odd Provinces
歌川広重 Utagawa Hiroshige (1797-1858)
六十余州名所图会 备后 阿武门观音堂
Abuto, Kannon Temple, from the series of Famous Places in the Sixty-Odd Provinces
1853
木版画 | 纵绘大判 | 36cm x 25cm
Woodblock-print | Oban tate-e | 36cm x 25cm
初版；早期版次，带漂亮的木纹；颜色保存非常好；边缘经修剪
First edition; early impression with beautiful woodgrain; fine color; slight trimming.
$8,500
《六十余州名所图会》，是歌川广重于1853年至1856年创作的一套描绘日本名胜的竖绘风景画系列。全套共囊括了全日本五畿七道的68国及江户城的胜景，加上1页目录，共计70幅。整体画面远近关系明确，加之用色大胆、构图新颖，颇受后世好评。著名的「阿波鸣门之风波 漩涡」，即出自本系列。
备后，即备后国，日本古山阴道令制国，旧国境位于今广岛县东半部。阿武门观音堂，更为人熟知的名称为阿伏兔观音堂，因其位于广岛县福山市阿伏兔岬上的磐台寺而得名，现为日本国家指定重要文化财。
画面描绘了一个满月之夜，薄雾轻飘，阿伏兔岬浸透着银光。陡峭的岩石棱角分明，几棵松树斜斜地长在悬崖上，一直延伸到岬顶的观音堂。白天鲜红的堂墙在月夜中变成了赭红色，站在悬崖上望出去，可以看到濑户内海的夜景。海面上，有两条小船漂浮在岬下，仿佛也有些古人“乘一叶扁舟，穿行在无边波涛中”的气势。海风和明月，仿佛大自然的无尽馈赠，直到今天我们仍然可以一同感受
广重在构思本作时，很明显致敬了前辈画家渊上旭江（1753-1816）于1799年出版的《山水奇观》一书中的同名插图。但他别出心裁加上的一轮圆月，使得画面顿生一缕玄妙脱俗的时空感，可谓青出于蓝。
The series “Famous Places in the 60-Odd Provinces” marked the moment when Hiroshige turned many of his landscape designs into vertical, oban tate-e formats, creating bold and modern design dynamics that dramatically emphasized Japan’s topography. In this print, Abuto, Kannon Temple, he uses the new format to demonstrate the height of the towering rock outcropping on which the famed temple sat.
At the same time, the series embraced all manner of subtle bokashi and fine printing techniques to bring the images to life, especially in the first editions, of which this is one.
The even printing of the dark blue in the sky, the color graduations on the rocks at the bottom, the carefully printed trees on the top and the pink title cartouche are all attributes of first editions. At the same time, the luxurious and beautiful woodgrain falling gently from the sky to the sea lets us know this is a very early impression. Behind the minor trimming to the margin, this print is in pristine condition.
Interested in purchasing?
Please contact us.
歌川広重 Utagawa Hiroshige (1797-1858)
六十余州名所图会 备后 阿武门观音堂
Abuto, Kannon Temple, from the series of Famous Places in the Sixty-Odd Provinces
1853
木版画 | 纵绘大判 | 36cm x 25cm
Woodblock-print | Oban tate-e | 36cm x 25cm
初版；早期版次，带漂亮的木纹；颜色保存非常好；边缘经修剪
First edition; early impression with beautiful woodgrain; fine color; slight trimming.
$8,500
《六十余州名所图会》，是歌川广重于1853年至1856年创作的一套描绘日本名胜的竖绘风景画系列。全套共囊括了全日本五畿七道的68国及江户城的胜景，加上1页目录，共计70幅。整体画面远近关系明确，加之用色大胆、构图新颖，颇受后世好评。著名的「阿波鸣门之风波 漩涡」，即出自本系列。
备后，即备后国，日本古山阴道令制国，旧国境位于今广岛县东半部。阿武门观音堂，更为人熟知的名称为阿伏兔观音堂，因其位于广岛县福山市阿伏兔岬上的磐台寺而得名，现为日本国家指定重要文化财。
画面描绘了一个满月之夜，薄雾轻飘，阿伏兔岬浸透着银光。陡峭的岩石棱角分明，几棵松树斜斜地长在悬崖上，一直延伸到岬顶的观音堂。白天鲜红的堂墙在月夜中变成了赭红色，站在悬崖上望出去，可以看到濑户内海的夜景。海面上，有两条小船漂浮在岬下，仿佛也有些古人“乘一叶扁舟，穿行在无边波涛中”的气势。海风和明月，仿佛大自然的无尽馈赠，直到今天我们仍然可以一同感受
广重在构思本作时，很明显致敬了前辈画家渊上旭江（1753-1816）于1799年出版的《山水奇观》一书中的同名插图。但他别出心裁加上的一轮圆月，使得画面顿生一缕玄妙脱俗的时空感，可谓青出于蓝。
The series “Famous Places in the 60-Odd Provinces” marked the moment when Hiroshige turned many of his landscape designs into vertical, oban tate-e formats, creating bold and modern design dynamics that dramatically emphasized Japan’s topography. In this print, Abuto, Kannon Temple, he uses the new format to demonstrate the height of the towering rock outcropping on which the famed temple sat.
At the same time, the series embraced all manner of subtle bokashi and fine printing techniques to bring the images to life, especially in the first editions, of which this is one.
The even printing of the dark blue in the sky, the color graduations on the rocks at the bottom, the carefully printed trees on the top and the pink title cartouche are all attributes of first editions. At the same time, the luxurious and beautiful woodgrain falling gently from the sky to the sea lets us know this is a very early impression. Behind the minor trimming to the margin, this print is in pristine condition.
Interested in purchasing?
Please contact us.
歌川広重 Utagawa Hiroshige (1797-1858)
六十余州名所图会 备后 阿武门观音堂
Abuto, Kannon Temple, from the series of Famous Places in the Sixty-Odd Provinces
1853
木版画 | 纵绘大判 | 36cm x 25cm
Woodblock-print | Oban tate-e | 36cm x 25cm
初版；早期版次，带漂亮的木纹；颜色保存非常好；边缘经修剪
First edition; early impression with beautiful woodgrain; fine color; slight trimming.
$8,500
《六十余州名所图会》，是歌川广重于1853年至1856年创作的一套描绘日本名胜的竖绘风景画系列。全套共囊括了全日本五畿七道的68国及江户城的胜景，加上1页目录，共计70幅。整体画面远近关系明确，加之用色大胆、构图新颖，颇受后世好评。著名的「阿波鸣门之风波 漩涡」，即出自本系列。
备后，即备后国，日本古山阴道令制国，旧国境位于今广岛县东半部。阿武门观音堂，更为人熟知的名称为阿伏兔观音堂，因其位于广岛县福山市阿伏兔岬上的磐台寺而得名，现为日本国家指定重要文化财。
画面描绘了一个满月之夜，薄雾轻飘，阿伏兔岬浸透着银光。陡峭的岩石棱角分明，几棵松树斜斜地长在悬崖上，一直延伸到岬顶的观音堂。白天鲜红的堂墙在月夜中变成了赭红色，站在悬崖上望出去，可以看到濑户内海的夜景。海面上，有两条小船漂浮在岬下，仿佛也有些古人“乘一叶扁舟，穿行在无边波涛中”的气势。海风和明月，仿佛大自然的无尽馈赠，直到今天我们仍然可以一同感受
广重在构思本作时，很明显致敬了前辈画家渊上旭江（1753-1816）于1799年出版的《山水奇观》一书中的同名插图。但他别出心裁加上的一轮圆月，使得画面顿生一缕玄妙脱俗的时空感，可谓青出于蓝。
The series “Famous Places in the 60-Odd Provinces” marked the moment when Hiroshige turned many of his landscape designs into vertical, oban tate-e formats, creating bold and modern design dynamics that dramatically emphasized Japan’s topography. In this print, Abuto, Kannon Temple, he uses the new format to demonstrate the height of the towering rock outcropping on which the famed temple sat.
At the same time, the series embraced all manner of subtle bokashi and fine printing techniques to bring the images to life, especially in the first editions, of which this is one.
The even printing of the dark blue in the sky, the color graduations on the rocks at the bottom, the carefully printed trees on the top and the pink title cartouche are all attributes of first editions. At the same time, the luxurious and beautiful woodgrain falling gently from the sky to the sea lets us know this is a very early impression. Behind the minor trimming to the margin, this print is in pristine condition.
Interested in purchasing?
Please contact us.
Utagawa Hiroshige (1797-1858)
Ando Hiroshige (1897-1858) revolutionized the art of landscape prints during the Edo era, building on the success of his senior, Hokusai, but taking a more poetic and naturalist approach to portraying the beauty of Japan.
The son of a low-level Samurai assigned to the fire brigade in Edo, Hiroshige became a student of the Utagawa school as a young man. His first prints focused on beautiful women (bijin), and views of Edo. But in 1833 he began work on his most famous early work, his first series depicting the Tokaido, the "Great Sea Road" between Edo and Tokyo.
Today there is some controversy about this series. Initially, it was believed that Hiroshige had travelled the route along with a local lord (Daimyo) who was making a gift of horses to the Emperor. But more recent scholarship suggests Hiroshige never travelled the road himself, at least not the entire way, and made his designs using published guidebooks.
Nonetheless, the prints were wonderful and revolutionary. They embraced the seasons with a gentle lyricism missing from Hokusai's striking but stylized depictions. In Hiroshige's work, nature is sacred -- but it is always mixed with humanity, with travelers or little inns or bridges. There is a magical harmony between man and the elements.
His depiction of the seasons and weather is especially evocative. Snow blankets some views with a hushed silence, while rain streaks down furiously in others. In some prints natured is agitated; in others, calm prevails. Produced in a horizontal oban yoko-e format, the series was a smash hit.
The Tokaido series made Hiroshige famous, and he became incredible prolific. In the 1840s he produced many strong designs, but many mediocre ones, too, including several subsequent Tokaido series of varying quality.
In 1853, however, he made a big step. He turned his landscapes sideways, embracing a bold vertical oban tate-e format. This gave his designs new energy and a modern feel. The first of these was Famous Views of the Sixty-Odd Provinces. From them on, most of his most noted series were executed in this format.
He saved his greatest for his last. In 1856 he began work on 100 Famous Views of Edo, which many consider his most exceptional work. Here his home city was portrayed with energy and passion, and in these 119 designs he created an incredible record of a vanished place. In addition to the striking vertical format, he developed exciting new compositions, often juxtaposing a strong foreground element with a distant background.
Among the many famous images in this series are Squall at Ohashi and the Plum Garden in Komeido. Both of these were copied by Vincent Van Gogh, a great admirer of Hiroshige. Thus, the great Japanese artist had a profound effect on Western art.
Alas, his beloved Edo ended his life. Hiroshige was claimed by a cholera epidemic that swept the city in 1958. His pupil Shigenobu, who took the name Hiroshige II, completed The Famous Views of Edo.