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 Great 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.

Pictures of Famous Places on the Fifty-three Stations (Vertical Tokaido) - In his 1855 Vertical Tokaido series, Hiroshige departed from the horizontal format of all his other Tokaido series, utilizing the upright form to create expansive landscape views with a sense of distance. His inventive compositions include many fine views of rivers and the sea. From the urban center of Edo, where the journey began, to the beautiful rural landscapes of the provinces, these handsome illustrations offer a wonderful depiction of travel along the famous Tokaido Road during the Edo era.

Artist - Hiroshige (1797 - 1858)

Image Size - 13 3/8" x 8 7/8" + margins as shown

Condition - This print with excellent detail as shown. Backed with paper. Large losses and tears, repaired. Slight toning and soiling. Please see photos for details.