Artwork
諸國名橋奇覧 足利行道山くものかけはし|The Hanging-cloud Bridge at Mount Gyōdō near Ashikaga (Ashikaga Gyōdōzan kumo no kakehashi), from the series Remarkable Views of Bridges in Various Provinces (Shokoku meikyō kiran)
諸國名橋奇覧 足利行道山くものかけはし|The Hanging-cloud Bridge at Mount Gyōdō near Ashikaga (Ashikaga Gyōdōzan kumo no kakehashi), from the series Remarkable Views of Bridges in Various Provinces (Shokoku meikyō kiran) is an ink print by the Japonisme artist Katsushika Hokusai. It dates from 1804 and is held in the collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art.
About this work
Overview
Created in 1804 by the Japanese printmaker Katsushika Hokusai, this woodblock work depicts a striking bridge spanning a gorge on Mount Gyōdō near Ashikaga. Part of the series titled “Remarkable Views of Bridges in Various Provinces,” the image is now part of the collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art.
Subject & Meaning
The composition centers on a vivid red bridge that arches between two sheer rock faces, giving the impression of a structure suspended amid clouds, hence its name, “hanging‑cloud bridge.” Below, a winding path leads to a modest building by the water, while a distant temple crowns a hillside, suggesting a harmonious blend of human engineering and natural scenery.
Technique & Style
Executed with ink and color on paper, the print employs bold, flat areas of pigment and simplified forms characteristic of early‑19th‑century ukiyo‑e. Hokusai’s use of contrasting reds against soft blues and whites creates depth while maintaining a dreamlike atmosphere, emphasizing both the bridge’s structural elegance and the surrounding landscape’s tranquility.
History & Provenance
The print was issued as one of several views in Hokusai’s “Shokoku meikyō kiran” series, which documented notable bridges across Japan’s provinces. After circulating in the Edo period, the work entered the collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art, where it is displayed as an example of the artist’s prolific output beyond his more widely known subjects.
Artist & collection
Artist
Katsushika Hokusai spent his life in Edo, now Tokyo, where he drew and carved prints for a living.
- 諸國名橋奇覧 東海道岡崎矢はぎのはし|Yahagi Bridge at Okazaki on the Tōkaidō (Tōkaidō Okazaki Yahagi no hashi), from the series Remarkable Views of Bridges in Various Provinces (Shokoku meikyō kiran)
諸國名橋奇覧 足利行道山くものかけはし|The Hanging-cloud Bridge at Mount Gyōdō near Ashikaga (Ashikaga Gyōdōzan kumo no kakehashi), from the series Remarkable Views of Bridges in Various Provinces (Shokoku meikyō kiran)
諸國名橋奇覧 山城あらし山吐月橋 |Togetsu Bridge at Arashiyama in Yamashiro, from the series Remarkable Views of Bridges in Various Provinces (Shokoku meikyō kiran)
諸國名橋奇覧 東海道岡崎矢はぎのはし|Yahagi Bridge at Okazaki on the Tōkaidō (Tōkaidō Okazaki Yahagi no hashi), from the series Remarkable Views of Bridges in Various Provinces (Shokoku meikyō kiran)
諸國名橋奇覧 すほうの国きんたいはし|Kintai Bridge in Suō Province (Suō no kuni Kintaibashi), from the series Remarkable Views of Bridges in Various Provinces (Shokoku meikyō kiran)
「諸國名橋寄覧 東海道岡崎 矢はぎのはし」|Yahagi Bridge at Okazaki on the Tōkaidō (Tōkaidō Okazaki Yahagi no hashi), from the series Remarkable Views of Bridges in Various Provinces (Shokoku meikyō kiran)
冨嶽三十六景 東海道品川御殿山の不二|Fuji from Gotenyama at Shinagawa on the Tōkaidō (Tōkaidō Shinagawa Gotenyama no Fuji), from the series Thirty-six Views of Mount Fuji (Fugaku sanjūrokkei)
冨嶽三十六景 東海道品川御殿山の不二|Fuji from Gotenyama at Shinagawa on the Tōkaidō (Tōkaidō Shinagawa Gotenyama no Fuji), from the series Thirty-six Views of Mount Fuji (Fugaku sanjūrokkei)