One Hundred Famous Views of Edo - In 1856, Hiroshige began designing what was to be his last great series and a masterpiece, "One Hundred Famous Views of Edo." The series contains 118 vertical format woodblocks of classic Hiroshige landscapes. From spring cherry blossoms to summer fireworks, from quiet scenes along the river to lively festival celebrations, Hiroshige captures life in old Edo in dramatic and interesting ways. Hiroshige employed an inventive compositional technique in many of the prints, using large foreground elements to frame a distant view in the background, such as the image of Kinryuzan Temple seen through the doorway of the famous Thunder Gate. Beautifully printed with fine bokashi shading, "One Hundred Famous Views of Edo" retains its popularity today as one of Hiroshige's great masterworks, and includes some of his most memorable images.

Original Fuji, Meguro, 1857 - Terrific scene of visitors enjoying the blossoming cherry trees and the spectacular view from Meguro of Mt. Fuji in the distance. The pine covered bluff in the foreground was a small replica of Mt. Fuji built a few years before the "New Fuji" also pictured in this series. The scenic area was popular with Edoites, and here, a few men climb the miniature mountain while others gather at tea stand beneath the flowering trees. A great design.

Artist - Hiroshige (1797 - 1858)

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

Condition - This print with excellent detail as shown. Stitching holes at right edge, a few small wormholes, repaired. Slight toning and soiling, slight rubbing at edges, a few creases. Please see photos for details. Good overall.