Ando Hiroshige

Key facts

Lived

1797–1858, Japanese

Movement

• Ukiyo-e

1. 1797Born Ando Tokutaro in Edo (present-day Tokyo). His father was the warden of the fire brigade that protected the shogun's castle.
2. 1809At 12, lost both parents within months of each other and inherited his father's position as fire warden in Edo. Despite the responsibility, he pursued his desire to study art.
3. 1811At 14, was accepted as a pupil of Utagawa Toyohiro in Edo after being turned away by the more prominent Toyokuni. Toyohiro's interest in landscape subjects proved a formative influence.
4. 1832At 35, passed his hereditary fire warden position to his son in Edo and devoted himself entirely to printmaking. His journey along the Tokaido road that year provided the sketches for his breakthrough series.
5. 1833At 36, published The Fifty-three Stations of the Tokaido in Edo, a series depicting scenes along the great highway connecting Edo and Kyoto. It brought him national fame and rivalled the popularity of Hokusai's landscapes.
6. 1856At 59, took Buddhist vows and retired from secular life in Edo. He began work on One Hundred Famous Views of Edo, a monumental vertical-format series that would later profoundly influence French Impressionists including Monet and van Gogh.
7. 1858Died at 61 in Edo during a devastating cholera epidemic that claimed 28,000 lives. One Hundred Famous Views of Edo was completed posthumously by his pupil Hiroshige II.

• How did utagawa hiroshige die?+

  Ando Hiroshige died in 1858 at the age of 61.
• What is Ando Hiroshige's most famous work?+

  Ando Hiroshige was a printmaker of the Ukiyo-ē school, which emerged in Japan in the late 17th century. Ukiyo-ē (pictures of the floating world) prints often depicted actors, courtesans, and scenes of everyday life. Hiroshige is known for print series such as *Sixty-Nine Stations of the Kisokaido* and *One-Hundred Famous Views of Edo*. However, his most famous single print may be *Sudden Rainstorm at Shōno*. It is a colour woodcut from 1833-4. This print captures the impact of a sudden storm. Figures are shown bent against the wind and rain. The diagonal composition adds to the feeling of energy, and the different tones are portrayed in a simplified manner. Hiroshige's *The Fifty-Three Stations of the Tokaido*, dating to 1832, was instantly successful. It depicts various aspects of the highway between Kyoto and Edo. His prints evoke the atmosphere of the countryside and provincial towns at a time when travel was restricted for most Japanese people.
• What is utagawa hiroshige famous for?+

  Ando Hiroshige is famous for his brightly coloured and original work. His work had a lasting effect on the Impressionists.
• What should I know about Ando Hiroshige's prints?+

  Ando Hiroshige (1797-1858) was a significant figure in the Ukiyo-e period of Japanese art. Ukiyo-e, or "pictures of the floating world", emerged in the second half of the 17th century. The style often depicted beautiful courtesans, actors, and scenes of everyday life. Hiroshige initially followed Ukiyo-e traditions. He later produced more views of the countryside. His first prints appeared when he was 21, but it was his series *The Fifty-Three Stations of the Tokaido* (1832) that brought him acclaim. This collection portrayed various aspects of the highway between Kyoto and Edo. Its success led to *Sixty-Nine Stations of the Kisokaido* and *One Hundred Famous Views of Edo*. His prints often feature harmonious colour, graceful compositions, and spatial arrangements. Hiroshige used elements of Western perspective, creating simplified evocations of mood. One of his most famous prints is *Sudden Rainstorm at Shōno*. Later editions of Hiroshige's prints were often simplified to reduce costs. Cheaper dyes were used and printed from worn blocks. Richard Lane notes that the Japanese divide impressions of Hiroshige prints into nine grades according to quality.
• What techniques or materials did Ando Hiroshige use?+

  Ando Hiroshige (1797-1858) was a master of the Japanese *ukiyo-e* style, which translates as "pictures of the floating world". This sophisticated style, which began in the second half of the 17th century, emphasised harmonious colour and graceful compositions. *Ukiyo-e* artists like Hiroshige typically produced woodcuts for middle-class buyers. Occasionally, they produced paintings for wealthier patrons. Hiroshige initially followed *ukiyo-e* traditions, but he gradually began to produce more views of the natural world. Hiroshige's technique involved woodcuts with harmonious colours and dynamic compositions. He also incorporated elements of Western-style perspective. His series *The Fifty-Three Stations of the Tokaido*, which depicted the highway between Kyoto and Edo, became very popular. This was followed by *Sixty-Nine Stations of the Kisokaido* and *One-Hundred Famous Views of Edo*. He studied in the studio of Utagawa Toyohiro.
• What was Ando Hiroshige known for?+

  Ando Hiroshige (1797-1858) was a Japanese Ukiyo-ē artist, remembered as one of the style's last great figures. Ukiyo-ē, or "pictures of the floating world", emerged in the second half of the 17th century. It was a style that often depicted beautiful courtesans, actors, and scenes of everyday life. Initially, Hiroshige followed Ukiyo-ē traditions, but he gradually shifted towards producing more scenes of places. His first publications appeared when he was 21. These were Eight Views of Ōmi. His work Ten Famous Places in the Eastern Capital drew attention to his name through its blend of the Kanō and Shijo painting styles. Hiroshige is particularly known for his series of prints. In 1832, he created The Fifty-Three Stations of the Tokaido, showing different aspects of the highway between Kyoto and Edo. This series was immediately successful. He followed it with Sixty-Nine Stations of the Kisokaido and One-Hundred Famous Views of Edo. These prints, with their colours and compositions, captured the atmosphere of the countryside and provincial towns. Hiroshige incorporated elements of Western perspective, creating natural-looking depictions of mood and atmosphere.
• When did Ando Hiroshige live and work?+

  Ando Hiroshige (1797-1858) was a Japanese ukiyo-e artist, also known as Utagawa Hiroshige. Born in Yayosugashi, Edo, as the son of a fire warden, he inherited the post in 1809 after his parents' deaths. He became a pupil of Utagawa Toyohiro around 1811, and by 1812, he adopted the name Hiroshige. His initial works appeared around 1818, including illustrations for the "Book of Murasaki Poems" and actor prints. In 1823, he gave up his fire warden position to focus on art. During the 1820s, Hiroshige created beauty series, samurai warrior prints, and book illustrations. In the early 1830s, he began making landscape prints and became known for his series on the Tōkaidō highway connecting Edo (now Tokyo) and Kyoto. The series, "Hōeidōban Tōkaidō", came out around 1832-1833. Other works include the series "One Hundred Famous Views of Edo", from 1856 to 1858, and "Thirty-six Views of Mount Fuji", in 1858. Hiroshige died of cholera in 1858 and was buried at Tōgakuji.
• When did hiroshige die?+

  Ando Hiroshige died in 1858 at the age of 61.
• When was utagawa hiroshige born?+

  Ando Hiroshige was born in 1797 in Japan. Ando Hiroshige died in 1858, aged 61.
• Where can I see Ando Hiroshige's work?+

  Ando Hiroshige (1797-1858) was a Japanese Ukiyo-e artist known for his woodblock prints of everyday life and noted places. Large collections of his prints can be found in the United States, for example at the Museum of Fine Arts in Boston, the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York, and the Art Institute of Chicago. In London, the British Museum and the Victoria and Albert Museum also hold collections. The Tokyo National Museum has a collection comprising 14,000 prints. Of these, 2 are by Hiroshige. The collection came from Monsieur Henri Vever in Paris; Mr Matsukata Kōjirō bought the collection in 1921 and brought it to the Tokyo National Museum. Hiroshige's work includes series such as *The Fifty-Three Stations of the Tōkaidō*, which depicts scenes along the highway between Kyoto and Edo, and *One Hundred Famous Views of Edo*.
• Where did utagawa hiroshige live?+

  Hiroshige was born in Edo, now Tokyo. He was born in 1797 at Yayosugashi as the son of a fire warden.
• Where was Ando Hiroshige from?+

  Ando Hiroshige was born in 1797 in Yayosugashi, as the son of a fire warden. Yayosugashi was a district of Edo, a city that is now called Tokyo. His family name was Ando; as a child, he was known as Tokutarō until 1809. He was named Jūemon from 1809 to 1846, and Tokubei from 1846. Around the age of nine, Hiroshige sketched a procession of delegates from the Ryukyu Islands to the Shogun. After the death of both parents, he became head of the family in 1809. He became a student of Toyohiro in 1810 or 1811, and adopted the artist name Hiroshige in 1812. His first confirmed works were published in 1818, including illustrations for the "Book of Murasaki Poems" and several actor prints. By 1823, he gave up his position as a fire warden to concentrate on his art career.