Traditional Japanese painting and engraving. Panorama One Hundred Famous Views of Edo

Artist Hiroshige, created by him during the period - gg. Consists of 118 sheets plus 1 title sheet.

This series is the last one created by the master. He started it the year he retired from the world, going to a Buddhist monastery (). Two years later he died from a cholera epidemic at the age of 62.

It is generally accepted that all the components of the compositions of these Hiroshige sheets are aimed at creating a certain psychological mood that would allow the viewer to feel the state of nature, to convey the atmosphere of man’s experience of nature. "This goal was the main one for Hiroshige in all" One Hundred Famous Views of Edo" with the exception, perhaps, of frankly decorative engravings. It is for its implementation that Hiroshige combines elements of various genres in one picture: landscape, still life and everyday life. This technique is also typical for many other sheets in the series."

It is argued that in this series, Hiroshige came to a new understanding of the tasks of landscape for Japanese art - not just a reliable image of the area or turning it into a symbol, but creating an image of nature by refracting it through the prism of human experience, creating a special mood in the soul of the viewer. “Hiroshige’s landscapes are a new and final stage in the development of the landscape genre in ukiyo-e printmaking and, more broadly, in the traditional art of Japan.”

Hiroshige's work had a significant influence on the Impressionists, including Claude Monet, Gauguin, and Van Gogh, who painted two paintings that were copies of Hiroshige's prints in this series.

I continue the series - it took me a long time, but promises must be kept.)

Scarlet Maples at Mama at Tekona no Yashiro Shrine and Tsugihashi Bridge
Between the trunks of a large maple tree with red leaves pushed to the foreground, there is a view of the Mama area. This huge maple tree was known to the people of Edo and was located on the territory of Guhoji Monastery. Townspeople came here in the fall to admire the autumn maple leaves (momijigari). Its monastic buildings overlooked the Shinto shrine of Tekona no Yashiro or Tekona myojin. Associated with it is a legend about a village girl from the Mama area, who had extraordinary beauty. Grooms from different provinces sought her hand in marriage, but, having caused discord, Tekona committed suicide. A sanctuary named after her arose around Tecona’s grave in the 17th century. Almost in the center of the sheet is the Uugihashi Bridge (Nugi - connection, connecting bridge), traditionally it was painted red. Behind the shrine and a small grove, the Tsukuba mountain range rises, and next to it is the Nikko mountain range.

Konodai Hill, Tonegawa River
Konodai Hill (Swan Hill) is located on the western edge of the Shimousadaiti Hills. At the foot of the hill, the Tonegawa River flowed from north to south. This hill used to be home to Ichikawa-jo Castle, which belonged to the Satomi family. Not far from it was the Kokubunji Temple. This was the busiest place in Shimousa. During the Edo period, the name of this place began to include the character for swan, since there were many swans on the Tonegawa River. In order to protect Edo from floods, the bakufu government ordered a change in the flow of the Tonegawa River from south to east. Some of the water flowed at the western foot of Konoday Hill, further south and flowed into Edovan Bay. This current was also called Edogawa. Thanks to the change in current, the transportation of goods from the north of Japan became convenient. During the Edo period, the hill was destroyed, creating a steep, steep slope, which is visible in the engraving on the left. There was a beautiful view from Konoday Hill. On the horizon one could see Edo Castle, the forest of Se-nsoji Temple and the roof of Higashi Honganji Temple, Ueno Mountains and even Mount Fuji.

Horie and Nekozane area
In the Gyotoku region, which was the center of Edo's salt supply, there were three villages: Horie, Nekozane, Todajima. Along the banks of the Sakaigawa River, which was a tributary of the Edogawa River, were the villages of Horie and Nekozane. The viewer can see them in the center of the sheet. On the left is the village of Horie, on the right is Nekozane, they are connected by a small bridge. The villages were located in lowlands near Edo Bay and were often hit by tsunamis and floods. Nekozane was closer to the bay and was particularly damaged during the Einin tsunami of 1293. The villagers built a dam located next to the ancient Toyouke-jin-ja shrine. The dam was strengthened by planting many pine trees on it - in fact, this influenced the name of the village. The word "Nekozane" comes from the phrase: "Ne-o kosa-nu" - "Without overflowing the roots." Fishing flourished in both villages. Fish and seafood were supplied to Edo, and bakagai shells were especially popular. In the distance, deep in the sheet, two boat masts are visible near the shore of the bay. To the left rises the snow-white peak of Fuji.

Pine "Gohonmatsu" on the Onagigawa Canal
Once upon a time, five pine trees grew on the banks of the Onagigawa Canal, but at the time of the creation of this engraving, only one pine tree remained, which was depicted by Hiroshige. Although the area still retains the name “Gohonmatsu”, which translated means “Five Pines”. The pine tree became one of the attractions of the Eastern capital; it was customary to admire the full moon here. The branches of a spreading pine, brought to the foreground in the engraving, support three supports, through which one can see houses and a small humpbacked bridge spanning the Azukkengawa Canal, where it flows into the Onagigawa. In reality, the Onagigawa Channel was completely straight and did not make such a sharp turn to the right as shown in the engraving. The artist needed a similar image of the canal in order to show the buildings along the canal and the bridge at the confluence of the canal with Azukkengawa. It is believed that Hiroshige wrote the engraving under the influence of The Book of Pictures of Edo Landmarks.

Fireworks at Ryogokubashi Bridge
In the early 1730s, during the reign of the eighth shogun Yoshimune (1684-1751), famine raged throughout Japan, cholera spread, and more than a million people died. The Bakufu ordered a grand cleansing festival to drive out the evil spirits of hunger and disease, an important part of which was the fireworks display on the Ryogokubashi Bridge. It took place on May 28, 1733 under the name Kawabiraki - “Opening of the River”. The fireworks were observed from the bridge, from boats or from numerous establishments around the bridge. The heads of two fireworks production companies, Kagiya Yahe from the Asakusa district and Tamaya Ichibe from Ryogoku Hirokoji, were responsible for the fireworks. Tamaya was in charge of the fireworks upstream from the Ryogokubashi Bridge, while Kagiya was in charge of the downstream. The black sky lit by hanabi fireworks (1Flower Lights) occupies two-thirds of the sheet. A wide variety of boats are visible on the river. In the center of the foreground there is a large boat in the shape of a house - this is a yakatabune; only wealthy townspeople could afford to rent such a boat. There were also shop boats with lanterns on poles, from which snacks and alcohol were sold, and boats on which musicians played.

Nihonjutsumi Embankment, Yoshiwara District
The Nihonjutsumi Embankment (Japanese Embankment), or rather the dam, was built by order of Tokugawa Ieyasu in the first half of the 17th century. The daimyo of all the provinces of Japan took part in its construction - this probably explains its name. But there is another interpretation of this name. There was already a dam nearby, which also served as protection against floods; with the advent of the new one, there were two of them. Therefore, the name Nihondzutsumi was first assigned to the second one - “Ni” - “two”, “hon” - a counting suffix. Subsequently, the replacement of the first two hieroglyphs entailed a change in meaning, and it began to be called “Japanese Embankment” - “Nihon” - “Japan”. The embankment led to the entrance to the Yoshiwara quarter. On the right in the engraving you can already see the roofs of the block and the crowns of the trees surrounding it. Next to the gate of the quarter there grew a willow tree, which was called “Mikaeri Yanagi” (“Farewell Glance Willow”): when leaving Yoshiwara at dawn, a guest could cast a farewell glance (mikaeru) at the guard booth and the willow tree next to it.

Torinomachi Festival in Asakusa Rice Fields
To the southwest of the Yoshiwara quarter, among the rice fields, there was the Washijinja Shrine, in which a deity in the form of an eagle was worshiped (“Washi” - Eagle). One of the shrine's popular festivals was Torinomachi (Chicken Day Fair). The fair was held once a year on the first day of November - Chicken Day. This shrine was clearly visible from the windows of the Yoshiwara quarter, in one of the living rooms of which the viewer finds himself. The sanctuary itself is on the left and is cut off by the edge of the sheet. A procession is heading towards him, many carrying long poles in the form of rakes - this is a kumade (bear paw), they served as a wish for success and wealth. A cat without a tail (a feature of the Japanese breed) watches the procession. Small hairpin shaped kumadas are depicted on the living room floor to the left. Their owner, apparently, is behind a screen, the edge of which is decorated with a stylized image of birds. The pattern of a narrow strip under the window sill is also symbolic, this is an image of sparrows; in Edo they were called sparrows of happiness (fukura-sud-zume), since they were considered a benevolent symbol. And the neighborhood regulars were called Yoshiwara-suzume (Sparrows from Yoshiwara).

Villages of Mikawashima, Kanasugi and Minowa
The village of Minowa was located south of Senju Station along the Oshukaido Highway and was formerly called Harajukucho. Before the construction of the Senju Ohashi Bridge, there was a road station where travelers spent the night when the river level rose and they could not ford it. To the west were the villages of Kanasugi and Mikawashima. In the background of the engraving one can see the territory of Mikawashima. Since ancient times, these have been agricultural villages, located in the lowlands south of the Arakawa River. Rice and daikon radish were grown here. During floods, the fields were flooded and became an ideal place for the shogun's falconry to hunt tancho cranes (Japanese red-headed cranes), which are depicted by the artist in the foreground of the engraving. Every year, from late November to February, cranes from the continent flew to these places. But they were hunted only in winter; in the fall they were protected from dogs and fed.

Ohashi Bridge in Senju
Previously, the Senju quarter was located on the northern bank of Arakawa, which was the upper reaches of the Sumidagawa River. The quarter was named so because a statue of Senju Kannon (thousand-armed Kannon) was found in the river in this area. During the Kamakura era, this quarter was located on the Osyukaido highway. In the Edo era, not only the Osyukaido Highway, but also the Mitokaido, Sakurakaido, and Nikkokaido Highways passed through the Senju Ohashi Bridge; it was an important transport hub. From the point of view of Edo's defense, Tokugawa Ieyasu was against the construction of bridges. But Senju, where there was heavy traffic, was an exception. The bridge was built in 1594 and was the first bridge on the Sumidagawa River. Then houses began to appear, first on the north side of the bridge, and then on the south. The names of the neighborhoods were formed: in the north - Kitasenju, in the south - Minamisenju. He is not visible in the engraving; on the opposite bank to the right is Kitasenju. On the embankments there were wholesale stores for timber rafted from the Chichibu-santi Mountains along the Arakawa River. The range of these mountains is visible on the horizon.

Koume embankment
The area depicted by Hiroshige was adjacent to the eastern bank of the Sumidagawa River, which flowed into Edowan Bay. In the north of the Honjo region there were shallows overgrown with reeds everywhere, and here, four kilometers from the center of the city of Edo, there was the village of Kou-me-mura. The area was famous for its Hikifunegawa Canal, which is seen in the engraving. At the beginning of the Edo period it supplied water to the Honjo and Fukugawa areas, but later became used for freight transport. It was shallow and narrow, so the boats were pulled with ropes by people who could be called barge haulers. In this engraving, the artist does not show the boats themselves or the people pulling them. Nor does it depict the plum trees (ume), which gave the village its name. The trees in the foreground on the left are Japanese alder (hannoki). To the right of the bridge, children play with puppies below them. Further, behind the trees in the foreground you can see the Hachidammebashi Bridge, which two women in headdresses are crossing, followed by the Koshinbashi and Shichihommebashi bridges. On both sides of the canal the rice fields are turning yellow.

The famous Japanese engraving master Hiroshige was wholeheartedly attached to only one city, Edo. This is where he was born. Here - he knew this for sure - he was going to die. He completed the series of engravings “One Hundred Views of Edo” shortly before his death. He is in a hurry to capture expensive places. There are almost no genre scenes here. The city is revealed through the landscape, even if there are people in the engraving.

In my album on Yandex, all the engravings are very large. You can come in and look at all the details.

First engraving:

Nihonbashi Bridge in clear weather after snowfall.

003. Hibiya area in the Soto-Sakurada area from the Yamashita-cho area
In the foreground is the shore of the Yamashita quarter, inhabited by merchants and artisans. On the other side of the canal in the Sakurada area there were bulk lands with estates.
One of the most famous mansions depicted by Hiroshige is the residence of the rulers of Saga Province. The red gates of the daimyo's estate with security booths indicate the high position of the owner. In front of the gate is a traditional New Year's decoration - pine trees (kadomatsu). Hiroshige depicts the New Year's fun of the townspeople: playing shuttlecock (hanetsuki), and soaring kites. These were the favorite entertainments of ordinary townspeople. The kites were decorated with images of samurai as aerial battles took place in the skies. One of these fights is in the background.
Hiroshige uses a striking contrast between the near and distant plans.

007. Cotton Goods Shops. Street of textile shops in the Odenmate district.

The engraving shows night or early morning. We are in the very center of the city. At the gate facing the street, which was often called cotton shops. Two geishas in kimonos return home after a night out. Some carelessness in clothes and hairstyles suggests a fun time. Most of the shops are already closed. Through the open door of one, stacks of folded fabrics, a late buyer and a seller are visible. To prevent the spread of fires, the large gates of the quarter were locked at night. And on the roof there were fences where there were buckets of water in case of fire.

WITH June 28 to July 28, 2016 an exhibition is being held at the Gallery of Fine Arts of Uzbekistan (NBU) "100 Famous Views of Edo"(the old name of Tokyo), where reproductions of color woodcuts from the mid-19th century are presented. world famous Japanese artist Hiroshige Utagawa. The Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of Japan to Uzbekistan spoke at the opening ceremony Fumihiko Kato, who visited the exhibition with his wife.

"One Hundred Famous Views of Edo"- a series of engravings by the Japanese artist Hiroshige, created by him in the period 1856-1858. Consists of 118 sheets plus 1 title sheet. This series is the last one created by the master. He began it the year he retired from the world, entering a Buddhist monastery (1856). Two years later he died from a cholera epidemic at the age of 62.

The theme of the city of Edo (Tokyo) was one of the most beloved by the artist who was born in it. In total throughout his life he created order 1080 sheets, where this capital would appear. In this series, he not only highlighted the beauty of Edo, but also included references to history, customs and legends. The theme of the engravings was not the most famous places of the city, but those that interested the master for their picturesqueness. The artist uses bright, varied colors, unusual composition and angles. Such decorativeness is a new quality that developed in Hiroshige’s work only in the 1850s. Most of the landscapes created by Hiroshige in this series belong to two types: views with decorative features or sketches from life.

It is generally accepted that all the components of the compositions of these Hiroshige sheets are aimed at creating a certain psychological mood that would allow the viewer to feel the state of nature, to convey the atmosphere of man’s experience of nature. “This goal was the main one for Hiroshige in all "One Hundred Famous Views of Edo", with the exception, perhaps, of frankly decorative engravings. It is for its implementation that Hiroshige combines elements of various genres in one picture: landscape, still life and everyday life. This technique is also typical for many other sheets in the series.”

It is argued that in this series, Hiroshige came to a new understanding of the tasks of landscape for Japanese art - not just a reliable image of the area or turning it into a symbol, but creating an image of nature by refracting it through the prism of human experience, creating a special mood in the soul of the viewer. “Hiroshige’s landscapes are a new and final stage in the development of the landscape genre in engraving ukiyo-e and more broadly - in the traditional art of Japan."

Hiroshige's work had a significant influence on the Impressionists, including Claude Monet and the Post-Impressionists Gauguin and Van Gogh, who painted two paintings that were copies of Hiroshige's prints in this series.

Here are two paintings by Hiroshige Utagawa (left), repeated by Van Gogh (right).

Previously in 2012 on the pages art-blof.uz, I published a post by the Japanese artist Hiroshige Utagawa in which famous engravings were also shown Hiroshige Utagawa. Those wishing to familiarize themselves with the engravings of the famous master can follow the link provided.

And a few more photos from the exhibition.

“One Hundred Famous Views of Edo” (Japanese: 名所江戸百景 Meisho Edo hyakkei) is a series of prints by the Japanese artist Hiroshige, created by him in the period 1856-1858. Consists of 118 sheets plus 1 title sheet.

This series is the last one created by the master. He began it the year he retired from the world, entering a Buddhist monastery (1856). Two years later he died from a cholera epidemic at the age of 62. The series was produced in 1856-1858. publishing house "Uoya" (Uoya Eikichi), headed by Uoya Eikichi. Some sheets were printed after the author's death. 1856: (3rd year of the Ansei era, year of the Dragon) - 37 sheets 1857: (4th year of the Ansei era, year of the Snake) - 71 sheets 1858: (5th year of the Ansei era, year of the Horse) - 10 sheets. Not all sheets in the series were executed by Hiroshige; 3 were created after his death by a student Shigenobu (1826-1869), who adopted the pseudonym Hiroshige II, although only one, signed by him, is accurately attributed to him.

Description

The series includes 119 sheets of vertical format (oban tateye), united by a common plot - depicting landscape and everyday sketches of the city of Edo. It is the largest series of nishiki-e woodblock prints of this size ever produced in Japan. The engravings are not arranged in chronological order as the artist created them, but are grouped by themes - seasons: Spring - 42 sheets Summer - 30 sheets Autumn - 26 sheets Winter - 20 sheets Contents - 1 sheet (added by the publisher). It is unknown whether the unification by seasons is the intention of the author or the publisher. In addition to the image, the sheet contains inscriptions: in the upper right corner (pink or red rectangle) - the name of the series next to it (multi-color square cartouche) - description of the depicted place in the lower part of the engraving (red, less often yellow rectangle) - the artist’s signature “Hiroshigega” (Painting by Hiroshige ) or “Hiroshige hitsu” (Painting (brushes) by Hiroshige). at the bottom left, in the margin - the seal of the publisher "Sitaya Uoey" (Uoya Eikiti from the Sitaya region). next to or in the upper margins are two censor's seals ("verified", stamp with date) This series was printed in a very large number of impressions, so its sheets are the most easily available for purchase of all Hiroshige's works. But at the same time, the large number of copies is due to the fact that later sheets are distinguished by poor shades and faded color tonal transitions. The first prints can be identified by the presence of bokashi, a special technique used for color gradation, applied in the title cartouche.

The theme of the city of Edo (Tokyo) was one of the most beloved by the artist born in it. In total, throughout his life, he created about 1080 sheets where this capital appeared. In this series, he not only highlighted the beauty of Edo, but also included references to history, customs and legends. The theme of the engravings was not the most famous places of the city, but those that interested the master for their picturesqueness. About a third of the plates show the water that surrounded Edo during that era. Mountains, especially Mount Fuji, also feature in the landscape...