Artwork
東都名所 新吉原朝桜之図|Morning Cherries at Yoshiwara
東都名所 新吉原朝桜之図|Morning Cherries at Yoshiwara is an ink print by the Romanticist artist Utagawa Hiroshige. It dates from 1828 and is held in the collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art.
About this work
Subject & Meaning
The composition integrates the natural beauty of the cherry blossoms with the distinct urban architecture of the licensed quarter.
The artwork depicts a morning scene within the Yoshiwara pleasure district of Edo, characterized by blooming cherry trees. The composition integrates the natural beauty of the cherry blossoms with the distinct urban architecture of the licensed quarter. Visual elements include a kago, or carried chair, suggesting the movement of visitors or courtesans through the area at dawn.
As a meisho-e, or famous places print, the work represents the specific atmosphere of Yoshiwara during the spring season, capturing the transient beauty of the morning light on the flowers. The scene serves as a landscape view that documents the cultural and social environment of this famous entertainment district.
Technique & Style
The print is executed in woodblock, using ink and mineral-based pigments on paper, a standard combination for 19th-century Japanese ukiyo-e. It belongs to the nishiki-e (brocade picture) tradition, combining multiple carved blocks to achieve intricate color gradations and fine linework. The handling emphasizes soft bokashi (tonal gradations) in the sky and blossoms, while crisp outlines and patterned textiles in the kago (palanquin) demonstrate Hiroshige’s control of register and texture.
The composition balances delicate natural motifs with the ordered geometry of Edo-period urban life, using a high horizon to frame the morning scene.
History & Provenance
The work is held in the collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art, where it is cataloged under accession number 1997.386. It has been exhibited as part of the museum's ukiyo-e holdings, specifically within displays focusing on Hiroshige's landscape series and depictions of Edo-period pleasure districts.
Overview
Utagawa Hiroshige’s 1828 woodblock print, titled Morning Cherries at Yoshiwara, captures a tranquil dawn in Edo’s famed pleasure district. The composition centers on blossoming cherry trees framing a solitary palanquin, while the soft morning illumination lends the scene a calm, almost reverent atmosphere.
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.
