Page 366 - japanese and korean art Utterberg Collection Christie's March 22 2022
P. 366

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                         UTAGAWA HIROSHIGE (1797-1858)                                                                                             UTAGAWA HIROSHIGE (1797-1858)
                         Ohashi bridge, sudden shower at Atake       One of Hiroshige's most well-known prints shows pedestrians                   Kameido ume yashiki (Plum estate, Kameido)  Umeyashiki is the name of a plum garden on the bank of the Sumida
                         Woodblock print, from the series Meisho Edo hyakkei   crossing the Ohashi Bridge are taken by surprise by a sudden        Woodblock print, from the series Meisho Edo   River that drew large numbers of visitors to enjoy the view and scent of
                                                                     downpour of rain. On the shoreline to the far left, almost
                         (One hundred views of famous places in Edo), signed   completely obscured by the rain are the Atake and Honjo             hyakkei (One hundred views of Edo), signed   the blossoming trees in early spring. Hiroshige's striking design places
                                                                                                                                                                                             the trunk and branches of a plum tree boldly in the foreground. The
                         Hiroshige ga, published by Uoya Eikichi, 9th month   districts, with the roofs of the sheds housing the shogun's boats    Hiroshige ga, published by Uoya Eikichi, 11th month   shape of this particular tree led to it becoming known as Resting Dragon
                         1857                                        just visible. Only thirty years after its publication, an impression          1857                                      Plum (Garyubai), because its branches grew so long they re-entered the
                         Vertical oban: 14º x 9Ω in. (36.2 x 24.1 cm.)  of this print made its way into the collection of Vincent van              Vertical oban: 14º x 9¬ in. (36.2 x 24.4 cm.)  earth. The viewer is obliged to look through the branches of the tree
                                                                     Gogh, inspiring him to paint his 1887 oil and canvas version                                                            and of those behind to see a group of visitors to the garden admiring
                         $40,000-60,000                              Bridge in the Rain (after Hiroshige), 1887, which is now in the van           $30,000-40,000                            the blossoms from behind a fence. The unusual and dramatic vantage
                                                                     Gogh Museum, Amsterdam, immortalizing the print into the                                                                point and bold use of color are characteristics that inspired 19th-century
                                                                     Western cannon of art forever.                                                                                          artists such as Vincent van Gogh, Claude Monet and James McNeill
                                                                                                                                                                                             Whistler and in many cases dramatically influenced their work. Another
                                                                                                                                                                                             impression of this particular print was acquired by van Gogh and
                                                                                                                                                                                             inspired him to such an extent that, along with A Sudden Shower over
                                                                                                                                                                                             Ohashi and Atake by Hiroshige, he produced his own version in oil,
                                                                                                                                                                                             Flowering Plum Orchard (after Hiroshige), 1887, now in the Van Gogh
                                                                                                                                                                                             Museum, Amsterdam
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