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.

Publisher - Adachi from a rare series of Edo masterwork designs. Adachi publisher seal in margin or on reverse.

Adachi was one of the most respected publishers of the 20th century. Their woodblocks were printed to the highest standards with excellent color and fine detail. Founded in 1925, Adachi also chose interesting and varied subjects for their prints and was the only publisher of many famous old ukiyo-e images.

Sudden Shower over Shin-Ohashi Bridge and Atake - Fantastic view of a sudden shower over Shin-Ohashi Bridge and Atake on a late summer afternoon in Edo. A torrent of rain falls from the dark sky as people crossing the New Great Bridge rush for cover, huddling under umbrellas, a hat, and a straw mat. A lone boatman poles a raft along the Sumida River, and the opposite bank, locally known as Atake, is silhouetted in dark gray. The rain is beautifully rendered in delicate dark lines, with fine bokashi shading in the water and sky adding to the stormy mood. Hiroshige's masterwork "Sudden Shower at Atake" ranks as one of his best and most famous designs. An outstanding image.

Artist - Hiroshige (1797 - 1858)

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

Condition - This print with excellent color and detail as shown. Slight toning, a few creases at edges. Please see photos for details. Nice overall.