1834
From the collection of Cleveland Museum of Art
Yokkaichi: View of the Mie River, from the series The Fifty-Three Stations of the Tōkaidō is a 1834 by Utagawa Hiroshige, a Romanticism work, held at Cleveland Museum of Art.
You’re looking at a river bending under a stormy sky. Reeds lean sideways, boats tilt, and travelers clutch their hats—all pushed by wind so strong you can almost hear it. Hiroshige skipped the famous Yokkaichi market to show this marshy stretch instead. No one knows why, but the choice turns an ordinary stop into a snapshot of nature’s mood. The print is one of fifty-three scenes from a road trip along Japan’s busiest highway. To see how another artist tackled wind and water, look up Katsushika Hokusai.
This print is from the first Tōkaidō series by Hiroshige. Yokkaichi was historically known for a major market held there on the fourth day of every month. However, instead of the market, Hiroshige has chosen to present a windy scene in the marshes along the Mie River just outside the town. No written records survive to indicate why Hiroshige chose the marshes over the market, but the result is a dynamic display of the power of wind.
Read the full account in the museum source.
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.
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