Pictures of Famous Places on the Fifty-three Stations (Vertical Tokaido) - Hiroshige's fantastic vertical Tokaido series was done in 1855 and represents a further evolution of his landscape design style, including some of his most modern designs. One of the striking features of this beautiful series was the vertical format, since the more common format for the landscape print was the horizontal. This unique approach allowed Hiroshige to experiment with the foreground and background contrasts that are typical of his work and seen in some of his other vertical landscape series. The concept for the vertical Tokaido grew out of the incredible popularity of the Hoeido Tokaido (his first Tokaido series). Hiroshige wanted to expand on the theme, as the public was very interested in his fascinating images of life and travels along the most important thoroughfare in Japan- the road from Edo to Kyoto. From the urban center of Edo, where the journey began, to the beautiful rural landscape of the provinces more far away, the series is a set of breathtaking illustrations of Edo period Japan.

The Second Block of the Miroku Licensed Quarter by the Abe River in Fuchu - Beautiful Hiroshige design of travelers arriving at Fuchu, entering through a wooden gate into the Miroku licensed quarters. Visitors enjoy a meal in the teahouses at left, sitting on the verandah or looking out through open shoji screens. A crescent moon rises above gray hills in the distance as twilight falls and clouds of mist settle over the station. A great composition with fine detail and attractive shading in the night sky.

Artist - Hiroshige (1797 - 1858)

Image Size - 13 1/2" x 8 3/4" + margins as shown

Condition - This print with excellent detail as shown. Faint toning, very slight soiling. Please see photos for details. Good overall.