Detail View: Louis Black Collection of Japanese Prints:
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Collection:
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Louis Black Collection of Japanese Prints, Art History Dept, Cummings Arts Center, Connecticut College, New London
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Artist:
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HIROSHIGE, Ando
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Culture:
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Japan
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Title:
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53 Stations of Tokaido [series]--#1
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Medium:
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Woodcut
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Dimensions (centimeters):
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23 x 35 cm
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Creation Date:
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1833-34
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Creation Century:
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19th Century
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Primary Creation Decade:
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1830-1839
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Primary Subject:
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landscape
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Secondary Subject:
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figures
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Donor:
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Louis Black, 1955
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Description:
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procession of people crossing bridge
“Hiroshige’s travels along the Tōkaidō Road, the highway between the
capital Edo (now Tokyo) and the former imperial seat of Kyoto, inspired him
to create the series Fifty-Three Stations of the Tōkaidō. Struck by the overwhelming natural beauty he
witnessed while traveling the Tōkaidō, Hiroshige produced an image for each
of the fifty-three stations along the road. Perhaps the domestic travel boom occurring in Japan in the mid
nineteenth century also prompted Hiroshige to create Fifty-Three Stations of
the Tōkaidō. Hiroshige aspired to humanize the
natural environment. He often included people, either travelers or workers, in
his scenes depicting the beauty of the Tōkaidō road. In some prints, such as in
“Hakone,” the people are hardly visible. At first glance, the figures’ straw hats
seem to blend into the rocky terrain of the overhanging cliff. The tiny figures
add to the awesome sensation of the lake and cliff. Furthermore, the white
peak of Mt. Fuji demands attention, although Hiroshige has positioned it in
the background.” --Sydney LaBlonde ‘08
publisher: Kiwame Take
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