100 Views of Edo # 12 by Ando Hiroshige

Additional Pictures:



Artist: Ando Utagawa Hiroshige (1787-1858)

Woodblock Prints Title: Ueno Yamashita (Ueno Yamashita), from the series One Hundred Famous Views of Edo (Meisho Edo hyakkei)

1st Publication: October 1858

Size: Vertical ôban; 35 x 24 cm (14 x 9 in.)

Date of this edition: October 1858

Publisher: Uoya Eikichi

Condition: Some color fading, soiling, remnants from prior mounting, vertical crease in the left margin.

Notes: Designed by Ando Hiroshige, this is one of the 3 prints from the series that was published by his pupil Hiroshige II

More about this print: This scene depicts the area known as Yamashita ("Below the Mountain") in Ueno Park. The abstract band of pink and yellow represents the famous cherry blossoms of Kan'eiji Temple ("The Mountain").

The small shrine hidden in the woods is Gojo Tenjin, and the adjacent restaurant is Iseya, which advertises a rice dish blended with pickled shiso, a minty herb. The procession of parasol-covered women in the lower left corner may be a group of ladies-in-waiting. Stopping to gaze at them is a group of commoners, somewhat awkwardly diminished in size.

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.