Utagawa Hiroshige (Japanese: 歌川 広重), also Andō Hiroshige (Japanese: 安藤 広重; 1797 – 12 October 1858), was a Japanese ukiyo-e artist, considered the last great master of that tradition.
Hiroshige is best known for his landscapes, such as the series The Fifty-three Stations of the Tōkaidō and The Sixty-nine Stations of the Kiso Kaidō; and for his depictions of birds and flowers. The subjects of his work were atypical of the ukiyo-e genre, whose typical focus was on beautiful women, popular actors, and other scenes of the urban pleasure districts of Japan’s Edo period (1603–1868). The popular Thirty-six Views of Mount Fuji series by Hokusai was a strong influence on Hiroshige’s choice of subject, though Hiroshige’s approach was more poetic and ambient than Hokusai’s bolder, more formal prints. (Wikipedia)
As a child, I collected the little cards with Japanese prints that came in ochazuke (breakfast rice soup sprinkles). The compositions were asymmetrical (diagonals!), the illustrations imaginative, and the colors shifted elegantly from the blunt American palette – the inks both vibrant and subtle. I loved them. I knew about Japanese artworks before I knew about the European impressionists who were so inspired by them. I knew the Japanese works so well that the impressionists seemed clumsy and heavy handed compared to the delicate craftsmanship of Japanese artists. Eventually the influence grew conduits in my mind, and I came to appreciate and enjoy both. (More on Japonisme soon.)
Below is a collection of Hiroshige prints featuring rain. The plants outside my window may be different, and my neighbors don’t wear yellow hats, but the rain looks much the same.
Utagawa Hiroshige: Travellers surprised by sudden rain
I’ll be sharing my drawings on Facebook. I’d love for you to share yours too. Maybe your posts will help us more people jumping in to join us. Post your pics to Facebook: SeattleArtLeague, or Instagram: SeattleArtLeague. #drawingaday #seattleartleague – or email them to me. I’d love to see what you create!
We are halfway through our 30 day creative challenges, and there have been a lot of fun posts. These creative challenges are different than other challenges. Designed to foster a wide variety of creative skills, they are not restricted to any style or genre, and medium is artist’s choice. Our creative challenges have been categorized …
In January, artists all over the globe sketched, inked, smeared, melted, and scribbled their way through our 30 Day Creative Challenge. The wide variety of creative challenges included vocabulary, observation, comics, design ,composition, imagination, and experimental creative prompts. Media was artist’s choice. Challenges were posted to our website and sent to inboxes around the globe …
R. B. Kitaj 1932 – 2007 Edited from https://artbios.net/5-en.html R.B. Kitaj was an American artist who championed figuration in the aftermath of expressionism. Kitaj was an influential figure in the London art scene and was intimate with Lucian Freud and Francis Bacon, coining the term “London School” for this group. His art was unabashedly erudite and often accompanied …
Hiroshige’s Rainy Moments
From Wikipedia:
As a child, I collected the little cards with Japanese prints that came in ochazuke (breakfast rice soup sprinkles). The compositions were asymmetrical (diagonals!), the illustrations imaginative, and the colors shifted elegantly from the blunt American palette – the inks both vibrant and subtle. I loved them. I knew about Japanese artworks before I knew about the European impressionists who were so inspired by them. I knew the Japanese works so well that the impressionists seemed clumsy and heavy handed compared to the delicate craftsmanship of Japanese artists. Eventually the influence grew conduits in my mind, and I came to appreciate and enjoy both. (More on Japonisme soon.)
Below is a collection of Hiroshige prints featuring rain. The plants outside my window may be different, and my neighbors don’t wear yellow hats, but the rain looks much the same.
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I’ll be sharing my drawings on Facebook. I’d love for you to share yours too. Maybe your posts will help us more people jumping in to join us. Post your pics to Facebook: SeattleArtLeague, or Instagram: SeattleArtLeague. #drawingaday #seattleartleague – or email them to me. I’d love to see what you create!
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We are halfway through our 30 day creative challenges, and there have been a lot of fun posts. These creative challenges are different than other challenges. Designed to foster a wide variety of creative skills, they are not restricted to any style or genre, and medium is artist’s choice. Our creative challenges have been categorized …
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In January, artists all over the globe sketched, inked, smeared, melted, and scribbled their way through our 30 Day Creative Challenge. The wide variety of creative challenges included vocabulary, observation, comics, design ,composition, imagination, and experimental creative prompts. Media was artist’s choice. Challenges were posted to our website and sent to inboxes around the globe …
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R. B. Kitaj 1932 – 2007 Edited from https://artbios.net/5-en.html R.B. Kitaj was an American artist who championed figuration in the aftermath of expressionism. Kitaj was an influential figure in the London art scene and was intimate with Lucian Freud and Francis Bacon, coining the term “London School” for this group. His art was unabashedly erudite and often accompanied …