Spiral Hall, Five Hundred Rakan Temple

by Hiroshige (1797 - 1858)

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Spiral Hall, Five Hundred Rakan Temple by Hiroshige (1797 - 1858)

Hiroshige (1797 - 1858) Japanese Woodblock Reprint
Spiral Hall, Five Hundred Rakan Temple

Series; One Hundred Famous Views of Edo

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.

Exceptionally Fine Taisho Era (1912 – 1926) Reprint Series –  Hiroshige’s 100 Edo series was rarely reprinted complete making many designs extremely difficult to find. This early reprint set is beautifully done; the prints are virtually identical to Edo era originals. Unlike later reprints, the paper and inks are from the Edo tradition. Beautiful old reprints like these are excellent for display as they are indiscernible from originals when framed.

Spiral Hall, Five Hundred Rakan Temple - Together with the people on the balcony, we gaze out over the bright green fields on the far eastern fringe of Edo. This balcony on the Five Hundred Rakan Temple was famous for its panoramic view of the distant environs of the city. A lovely summer view, and classic Edo scene, this was a favorite location of Hiroshige and it is said that he often took day trips to this temple site. Beautiful!

Artist - Hiroshige (1797 - 1858)

Image Size - 13 1/4" x 8 5/8" + margins as shown

Condition - This print with excellent color and detail as shown. Please see photos for details. Nice overall.

Spiral Hall, Five Hundred Rakan Temple by Hiroshige (1797 - 1858)
Spiral Hall, Five Hundred Rakan Temple by Hiroshige (1797 - 1858)