100 Views of Edo # 86 by Ando Hiroshige

Artist: Ando Utagawa Hiroshige (1787-1858)

Woodblock Prints Title: Naitô Shinjuku, Yotsuya (Yotsuya Naitô Shinjuku), from the series One Hundred Famous Views of Edo (Meisho Edo hyakkei)

1st Publication: November 1857

Size: Vertical ôban; 36 x 24 cm (14 3/16 x 9 7/16 in.)

Date of this edition: November 1857

Publisher: Uoya Eikichi

Condition: Slightly trimmed on the left margin, else very fine. Exceptional colors, impression and overall condition.

Notes: Why would the artist choose such an odd vantage point? The lowness of the subject matter, apart from the hind view, is important in considering this print in context; it is an appropriate expression of the place: Naitō Shinjuku, near Yotsuya Gate, the western entrance to Edo. Founded in 1698, this quarter was intended from the start as a semiofficial center of prostitution and the first stop along Kōshū Highway out of Edo. The prostitutes at this down-to-earth settlement were described as "flowers blooming in the horse droppings of Yotsuya." Hiroshige pays close attention to the placement of the objects on the ground, from the straw-sandaled legs of the two horses and their groom to the five separate balls of manure.

Pictures: Pictures are taken outdoor, in the shade, to reflect true colors, without any enhancements of any kind. The last picture is taken indoor, with a light behind the print, to reveal the exact paper grain, holes if any, or other possible flaws.