Hiroshige
1797-1858
Ukiyoe painter. Also referred to as Ichiyusai, Ichiyosai, Utashige, and others. A pupil of Toyohiro. He started his career as working on the illustration for Kyoka (=comic Tanka poem) book or the actor painting. In 1832, he went up to the capital accompanying the Bakufu's procession, where being inspired so much, he produced and published, in the following year, " Fifty-Three Stations of the Tokaido " based on his experience on the journey. Its success boosted him to become a landscape painter. Afterwards, he successively sent out the masterpiece to the world such as "Famous Views of the Various Provinces" and “Famous Views of Edo". Other representative pieces are "Famous Views of the Eastern Capital", " One Hundred Famous Views of Edo ", and so on.
Grand-Series-of-Fishes
Hiroshige 's work entitled "Grand Series of Fishes" is known for 40 works of 4 series, but in general it refers to each 10 types of the Eijudo version published early in Tenpo, and the Yamasho version published in late Tenpo. Both versions depicts fishes and shellfishes with Kyoka (comic tanka), and sometimes with a branch of a plant. Fishes in most of works are represented not as living things in the sea, but as food ingredients. In spite of a simple composition, this series successes to express the sense of the seasons and the freshness of fish, due to the contrast of vivid colors. The content of the Kyoka is related to the motif drawn, so we can also enjoy this pieces like solving puzzles.
