Page 367 - japanese and korean art Utterberg Collection Christie's March 22 2022
P. 367

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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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