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Enjoying the Evening Cool and the Great Fireworks at Ryogoku Bridge

Enjoying the Evening Cool and the Great Fireworks at Ryogoku Bridge

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Utagawa Hiroshige

The great fireworks festival was held every July and marked the opening of the boating season on the Sumida River. Masses of people attended the festivities and lounged in pleasure boats, stood on the Ryogoku Bridge, or gathered on the riverbanks. The festival was a frequent subject for ukiyo-e artists, attesting to its wide popularity. The three courtesans in this triptych disembark from pleasure boats on the Sumida River. Close inspection of the expansive bridge in the background reveals the outlines of the multitudes of figures who have gathered to watch.
Artist
Utagawa Hiroshige
(Japanese, 1797 - 1858)
Title
Enjoying the Evening Cool and the Great Fireworks at Ryogoku Bridge
Date
1849-1851
Medium
Color woodcut
Dimensions
15 x 30 3/8 in. Overall
Credit
John H. Van Vleck Endowment Fund purchase
Accession No.
2002.74a-c
Classification
Prints
Geography
Japan

Related

  • Mueller, Laura. "Competition and Collaboration: Japanese Prints of the Utagawa School." Leiden, The Netherlands: Hotei Publishing, 2007. p. 120, no. 89
  • Schlombs, Adele. "Hiroshige: 1797-1858." Koln, Germany: Taschen, 2007. p. 86-87
  • Forrer, Matthi. "Japanese Prints: [catalogue Of] the Baur Collection, Geneva." Genève: Collections Baur, 1994.

  • Utagawa: Masters of the Japanese Print, 1770-1900 : Chazen Museum of Art, 3/21/2008–6/15/2008

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