Grand Series of Fishes

Grand Series of Fishes - Around 1832 - 1833, Hiroshige designed a series of ten oban size woodblocks of fish for a privately printed poetry album. According to the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston, shortly afterwards, the blocks were used for a commercial release, with the addition of one new subject and publisher and censor seals. Another nine designs were added circa 1840 - 1842 by another publisher, for a total of twenty woodblocks.

This untitled series, sometimes called the "Grand Series of Fishes" or "Large Fishes," fits into the genre of kacho-e (birds and flowers prints), which focuses on carefully observed birds, insects, fish, and flowers in natural habitats. Beautifully detailed varieties of fish and sea life are artfully arranged with grasses or plants against backgrounds with soft bokashi shading. A rarely seen series and a great example of Hiroshige's nature prints.

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• General Index

Prints from this Series

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Suzuki, Gold-eyed Bream, and Shiso	Flying Fish, Ishimochi, and Lily	Crab, Mackerel, and Morning Glory
Flounder, Mebaru, and Cherry Blossoms	Shimadai, Ainame, and Nandina	Carp
Amadai, Mebaru, and Wasabi Root	Ako and Bamboo Grass	Yellowtail, Blowfish, and Plum Branch
Trout	Gray Mullet, Camellia, and Udo	Kasago and Isaki with Giner Roots
Two Gunnard and a Flounder	Abalone, Sayori, and Peach Blossom	Two Fish and Two Shrimp
Two Flatheads and Eggplant	Two Shrimps and Lobster	Bonito and Cherries
Black Bream and Two Small Red Bream with Sansho	Sea Bream and Sansho