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.

Bikuni Bridge in Snow - Departing from the beautiful, famous sites of Edo, in this print Hiroshige depicts a disreputable sort of place. The Bikuni Bridge area was known to be a dirty, somewhat dangerous, area in Edo. On either side of the pathway, vendors advertise two favorite foods enjoyed in wintertime. At right, a small stall offers roasted yams, while on the left, a sign advertises roasted chestnuts. Both snacks are still favorites in Tokyo today. A few dogs nose about the shop at right, while a laborer with a yoke over his shoulder trudges through the ankle-deep snow towards the bridge. A handsome snow scene with fine bokashi shading in the sky.

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. Good overall.