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The Plum Garden at Kameido, from the series Thirty-six Views of the Eastern Capital

The Plum Garden at Kameido, from the series Thirty-six Views of the Eastern Capital

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Utagawa Hiroshige II

The plum orchard at Kameido was located on the bank of the Sumida River near Tenman Shrine. Many visitors came annually to view the flowering trees and take in the strong scent of the blossoms. The prominent, popular tree in the background was named “resting dragon plum” because its branches grew so long that they penetrated the earth and sprouted new trees. In this print, Hiroshige II pays homage to his teacher’s The Plum Orchard at Kameido from One-hundred Views of Famous Places in Edo. Hiroshige II transposes the background and foreground and places the “resting dragon tree” in the distance with the picnicking figures up close. This work is a prime example of his indebtedness to his teacher.
Artist
Utagawa Hiroshige II
(Japanese, 1829 - 1869)
Title
The Plum Garden at Kameido, from the series Thirty-six Views of the Eastern Capital
Date
4/1862
Medium
Color woodcut
Dimensions
ca. 343 x 230 mm Overall
Credit
Bequest of John H. Van Vleck
Accession No.
1980.2260
Classification
Prints
Geography
Japan

Related

By 1925, purchased in Japan by Frank Lloyd Wright; ca. 1926, acquired by The Bank of Wisconsin; 1928, sold to Edward Burr Van Vleck (Madison, WI); 1943, passed through inheritance to Edward’s son, John H. Van Vleck (Madison, WI); 9 January 1980, bequeathed by John H. Van Vleck to the Elvehjem Museum of Art [now called Chazen Museum of Art]

  • Mueller, Laura. "Competition and Collaboration: Japanese Prints of the Utagawa School." Leiden, The Netherlands: Hotei Publishing, 2007. p. 197, no. 190
  • Hitachi, Ltd. "Ukiyoe" [calendar]. Japan: Hitachi, Ltd., 2009. February
  • Elvehjem Museum of Art. "The Edward Burr Van Vleck Collection of Japanese Prints." Madison: Elvehjem Museum of Art, 1990. p. 201

  • Utagawa: Masters of the Japanese Print, 1770-1900: Chazen Museum of Art, 11/2/2009–11/26/2009
  • Utagawa: Masters of the Japanese Print, 1770-1900 : Chazen Museum of Art, 3/21/2008–6/15/2008
  • Competition and Collaboration: Japanese Prints of the Utagawa School: Chazen Museum of Art, 11/3/2007–1/6/2008

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