Who painted 名所江戸百景王子装束えの木大晦日の狐火|Foxes Meeting at Oji?

名所江戸百景王子装束えの木大晦日の狐火|Foxes Meeting at Oji was painted by Utagawa Hiroshige in 1857.

Where can I see 名所江戸百景王子装束えの木大晦日の狐火|Foxes Meeting at Oji?

名所江戸百景王子装束えの木大晦日の狐火|Foxes Meeting at Oji is held by Metropolitan Museum of Art.

What movement is 名所江戸百景王子装束えの木大晦日の狐火|Foxes Meeting at Oji?

名所江戸百景王子装束えの木大晦日の狐火|Foxes Meeting at Oji is associated with Impressionism.

Artwork

名所江戸百景王子装束えの木大晦日の狐火|Foxes Meeting at Oji

Utagawa Hiroshige , 1857

名所江戸百景王子装束えの木大晦日の狐火|Foxes Meeting at Oji is an ink print by the Impressionist artist Utagawa Hiroshige. It dates from 1857 and is held in the collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art.

About this work

Overview

Utagawa Hiroshige’s 1857 woodblock print “Foxes Meeting at Oji” belongs to his series One Hundred Famous Views of Edo. Executed in ink and color on paper, the image portrays a winter night scene in which a stark, leaf‑less tree dominates the foreground while a group of foxes gathers nearby, their forms illuminated by the legendary fox fire.

Subject & Meaning

The composition centers on the folkloric phenomenon of kitsune‑bi, the mysterious lights said to be produced by foxes in Japanese legend. By placing the animals around a solitary tree against a muted, nocturnal landscape, Hiroshige evokes the eerie, otherworldly atmosphere associated with these supernatural encounters.

Technique & Style

Hiroshige employs the ukiyo‑e woodblock method, using fine line work to render the tree’s skeletal branches and softer washes for the night sky and water. The palette is restrained, dominated by cool blues and grays, while subtle color accents highlight the foxes and suggest flickering firelight.

History & Provenance

Created during the late Edo period, the print reflects a shift from the genre’s typical focus on urban leisure to more atmospheric, seasonal subjects. It entered the collection of The Metropolitan Museum of Art, where it remains part of the museum’s Japanese prints holdings.

Context

While most prints in the One Hundred Famous Views of Edo depict recognizable cityscapes and popular districts, this piece stands out for its emphasis on a mythic rural scene. It illustrates the broader Edo‑era interest in seasonal change and supernatural folklore, integrating them into a visual record of the capital’s environs.

Artist & collection

Artist

Utagawa Hiroshige

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.