1834
ink
paper
From the collection of Metropolitan Museum of Art
Dominant colour
東海道五十三次之内 赤阪 旅舎招婦の図|Akasaka, Ryosha Sho-fu is a 1834 ink by Utagawa Hiroshige, a Romanticism work, depicting Human Figure, held at Metropolitan Museum of Art.
This print shows a busy outdoor scene with two wooden buildings connected by a bridge. Inside the rooms, people are sitting and working—some on mats, others near tables. A large palm tree leans over the bridge, and a woman in blue stands on the left, while another woman in a checkered outfit sits on the right. The colors are bright but flat, with lots of black outlines. The artist used a technique called *cross-hatching*—tiny lines layered to create shadows and texture, especially in the clothing and tree. This style helps make the scene feel detailed even though it’s a print. Next, look up cross-hatching to see how artists use lines to add depth.
Utagawa Hiroshige (歌川 広重) or Andō Hiroshige (安藤 広重), born Andō Tokutarō (安藤 徳太郎; 1797 – 12 October 1858), was a Japanese ukiyo-e artist, considered the last great master of that tradition.
See the richer artist page
