Artwork

歌川広重画東海道十三五十三次沼津|Numazu, Number 13, from the series Fifty-Three Stations of the Tōkaidō (Tōkaidō gojūsan tsugi)

歌川広重画東海道十三五十三次沼津|Numazu, Number 13, from the series Fifty-Three Stations of the Tōkaidō (Tōkaidō gojūsan tsugi) is an ink print by the Romanticist artist Utagawa Hiroshige. It dates from 1850 and is held in the collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art.

Accession no.: JP2875
Credit line: Henry L. Phillips Collection, Bequest of Henry L. Phillips, 1939

About this work

Overview

This 1850 woodblock print, Numazu, Number 13, is part of Utagawa Hiroshige's renowned Fifty-Three Stations of the Tōkaidō series, documenting the stations along the historic route between Edo and Kyoto.

Subject & Meaning

The print captures a serene winter scene at Numazu, the 13th station, contrasting a snowy mountain with a misty, flat plain, and a winding road with travelers and a grazing horse, evoking tranquility.

Technique & Style

Hiroshige employed simple, expressive lines and a muted color palette to convey peacefulness, juxtaposing the mountain's snow with darker, cooler tones in the foreground, characteristic of his landscape-focused ukiyo-e style.

History & Provenance

Created in 1850, during Japan's late Edo period, this work is a notable example of Hiroshige's departure from traditional ukiyo-e subjects, instead emphasizing natural beauty along the Tōkaidō.

Context

As part of the Fifty-Three Stations series, Numazu reflects Hiroshige's contribution to the popularization of the Tōkaidō's scenic attractions, catering to the growing interest in travel and regional identity among Edo's populace.

歌川広重画　東海道　十四　五十三次　原|Hara, Number 14, from the series Fifty-Three Stations of the Tōkaidō Road (Tōkaidō gojūsan tsugi), also known as the Clerical Script Tōkaidō (Reisho Tōkaidō), Utagawa Hiroshige

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.