Garden at Night (Yoru no niwa), from the series an Elegant Prince Genji (Furyu Genji )

In 1829, Ryutei Tanehiko (1783–1842) began the serial novel Imposter Murasaki, Rustic Genji, which was a parody of The Tale of Genji by Murasaki Shikibu (978–1014). The later story unfolds in the licensed quarters of fifteenth-century Edo instead of in the imperial court of Kyoto. The author completed thirty-eight installments when the Tokugawa government halted its production in 1842. Shortly thereafter, Tanehiko committed suicide. The immensely successful serial was elaborately illustrated by Kunisada. More than ten years after the author’s death, Kunisada and Hiroshige collaborated on Elegant Prince Genji, a series of ten triptych designs based on Kunisada’s earlier illustrations. In this rare evening scene, the lantern light is completed with extreme care by the printer, who wiped the carved block to transfer an even gradation of color. Both artists’ signatures are prominently included next to their respective portions, highlighting their creative specialties: Hiroshige for the landscape, and Kunisada for the figures.