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 Bow and Bowstring Route from Kusatsu to Yabase, 1855 - Attractive view of the Yabase Ferry on Lake Biwa, with passengers boarding at the stone piers at lower left. Several sails dot the lake, growing smaller as they reach the distant shore. The fortified walls of a castle can be seen at upper right below the imposing mountains along the horizon. A handsome scene.

Artist - Hiroshige (1797 - 1858)

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

Condition - This print with good detail as shown. Backed with paper. Some prints have a few spots or creases, or a light vertical line where backing papers meet. Curling. Please see photos for details.