Artwork
東海道五十三次之内 袋井 出茶屋の図|Fukuroi; De Chaya
東海道五十三次之内 袋井 出茶屋の図|Fukuroi; De Chaya is an ink print by the Romanticist artist Utagawa Hiroshige. It dates from 1834 and is held in the collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art.
- Accession no.
- JP498
- Credit line
- Rogers Fund, 1918
About this work
Overview
Fukuroi; De Chaya is a woodblock print created by Utagawa Hiroshige around 1834, as part of The Fifty-three Stations of the Tōkaidō series. It captures a serene roadside scene at Fukuroi, highlighting a teahouse and travelers.
Subject & Meaning
The print focuses on a resting area along the Tōkaidō road, depicting travelers at rest and in transit. A teahouse, a common motif in Hiroshige's travel series, is prominently featured, emphasizing the importance of such stops for weary travelers.
Technique & Style
Hiroshige employed bold outlines and flat colors to maintain clarity and simplicity. Notable techniques include the expressive, sharply twisted tree branches and the use of cross-hatching to achieve shading, characteristic of his ukiyo-e style.
History & Provenance
Created circa 1834 by Utagawa Hiroshige for The Fifty-three Stations of the Tōkaidō series, marking a departure from typical ukiyo-e subjects of the Edo period by focusing on landscapes and everyday travel scenes.
Context
Part of a broader artistic shift in Edo period ukiyo-e, Hiroshige's work reflected a growing interest in capturing Japan's natural beauty and the experiences of common travelers along the Tōkaidō.
Legacy
Fukuroi; De Chaya contributes to Hiroshige's reputation as a pioneer in landscape ukiyo-e, influencing subsequent generations of artists with its simple yet expressive depiction of everyday Japanese life and scenery.
Artist & collection
Artist
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.
