1839
ink
paper
From the collection of Metropolitan Museum of Art
Dominant colour
百人一首 乳母か縁説 在原業平|Poem by Ariwara no Narihira, from the series One Hundred Poems Explained by the Nurse (Hyakunin isshu uba ga etoki) is a 1839 ink by Katsushika Hokusai, a Japonisme work, depicting Bridge, held at Metropolitan Museum of Art.
This woodblock print shows a busy bridge over a river, with people walking, talking, and carrying things. Below the bridge, a woman in a red skirt is helping someone who fell into the water. The background has green hills, autumn trees, and stacks of dried grass. The colors are bright but muted, with lots of blues, greens, and browns. Notice how the artist packed so many people and details into one scene—it’s like a snapshot of daily life. The text on the right side hints at a story from a famous poem collection. Next, look up cross-hatching to see how artists build texture with lines.
Katsushika Hokusai spent his life in Edo, now Tokyo, where he drew and carved prints for a living.
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