Hiroshige: The Tōkaidō, Edo and the Poetry of Weather
Where Hokusai was restless and dramatic, Utagawa Hiroshige (1797–1858) was lyrical. His landscapes are full of weather, light and ordinary people on the move, and they shaped how the world pictured Japan. Van Gogh copied two of them in oil. For collectors, Hiroshige offers an enormous body of work at every level of the market.
The Fifty-three Stations of the Tōkaidō
The Tōkaidō was the great highway between Edo and Kyoto, lined with post stations where travellers rested. Hiroshige's series of the fifty-three stations, published in the early 1830s, made his name. Its scenes of rain, snow, wind and night were a sensation, and he returned to the subject many times in later series of different formats.
One Hundred Famous Views of Edo
Hiroshige's last great series, produced from 1856 until after his death, shows the city of Edo through the seasons in a vertical format. Bold foregrounds frame distant views: a plum branch, a bridge in a sudden shower, a hawk over a snowy landscape. Two of its designs were copied by Van Gogh, who admired their daring compositions.
Other series
- The Sixty-nine Stations of the Kisokaidō, the mountain highway, made with Keisai Eisen.
- Thirty-six Views of Mount Fuji, Hiroshige's own answer to Hokusai.
- Bird-and-flower prints, delicate vertical designs prized by collectors.
The art of gradation
Hiroshige's printers were masters of bokashi, the technique of wiping pigment on the block to create soft gradations of colour in skies and water. In early impressions, these gradations are subtle and carefully placed; in later impressions they may be simplified or absent.
What collectors look for
- Impression: sharp lines and the full, intended colour scheme, including bokashi.
- Colour: unfaded blues and reds; fugitive colours fade quickly in light.
- Margins and size: untrimmed prints are preferred.
- Condition: wormholes, stains, backing and repairs all affect value.
- Edition: many designs exist in several states and later printings, and faithful modern recuts are widely available.
Questions collectors ask
Why are some Hiroshige prints inexpensive?
Many impressions were printed, and later impressions and recuts are plentiful. Early, well-preserved impressions of famous designs are another matter.
Which Hiroshige series is best for a first purchase?
Many collectors start with One Hundred Famous Views of Edo, whose vertical format and bold designs suit modern rooms.
How should I hang a Hiroshige print?
Behind UV-filtering glazing, out of direct light. Read Framing Japanese Prints.