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.

Inari Bridge and Minato Shrine, Teppozu - Traveling down the Kyobashi River in Edo one comes across this particular place, which was a critical junction in the waterways of the city. This marks the spot where the large sailing ships from western Japan were anchored and their cargo was transferred into small boats for distribution to the many storehouses that lined the canals of the city. With this scene in mind, Hiroshige offers us a view of this beautiful place through two large sailing ship masts. Beyond see the buildings of the city and Fuji rising in the distance. The sun is setting on the horizon. An excellent print, and knockout image from the 100 Edo series.

Artist - Hiroshige (1797 - 1858)

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

Condition - With excellent color and detail. Please see photos for details.