Artist: Hiroshige
Medium: Original Japanese Woodblock Print
Series Title: The 60 Odd Provinces
Edition: Original
Date: 1853
Publisher: K. Heisuke
Reference No.: Hiroshige's Journey in the 60-odd Provinces: Cat. #19; pg. 66-67
Size: 14 -1/2 x 10 "
Condition: Very fine, with superb colors
Notes:
A superb impression with strong colors throughout, and mica applied on the beach and boats. Fishermen along the Yasashi Bay, commonly known as the "99-mile" coast. The men are dragnet fishing and hauling in their nets to the beach, where people wait with baskets to carry the catch to market for sale.
Careful gradation and shading along the shoreline and beach. Famous Views of the Sixty-Odd Provinces: The most striking difference to all the other landscape series designed until then by Hiroshige and other print artists was the vertical layout of all 69 prints. Moreover, the series was distinguished by the frequent use of bokashi (gradation printing), especially in the skies and water, and in the careful gradation and shading of different tints into each other on the rocks and mountains. These innovations helped contribute to the success of this series. The emphasis of the prints in this series is on nature. The aim was to depict a famous place from each of the provinces, which is probably also the reason why relatively few people are featured in this series. Even when humans are depicted, it is often to emphasize the overwhelming nature around them. - Hiroshige's Journey in the 60-odd Provinces.