Hiroshige

Utagawa Hiroshige (Japanese歌 川 広 重, old spelling:歌 川 广 重, * 1797 in Edo (now Tokyo), † October 12, 1858 ) together with Kuniyoshi and Kunisada, was one of the three style- masters of the Japanese woodblock print at the end of the Edo time. Its particular importance lies in a completely new composition of the landscape pressure of his time and his decisive influence on the development of European Impressionism.

In the West he is known under the name of Ando Hiroshige, a wrongly used combination of his bourgeois family name Ando and conferred on him by his teacher, artist names Hiroshige, Utagawa necessarily the name of the school must be added to the.

Life-history

Utagawa Hiroshige 1797 [note 1] as Ando Tokutaro (安藤 徳 太郎) in the district Yayosugashi (now in the district of Marunouchi Chiyoda ) in Edo, now Tokyo born. His nickname in later years were Juemon, Tokubei and for a time Tetsuzo.

His father was Mitsuemon Genemon, which had been adopted by Ando Juemon and from the hereditary office of a subordinate officer had taken fire department ( Hikeshi Doshin, " administrator of the Association for the firefighting ") in the service of the Bakufu. As a service man of the Bakufu, he was a member of samurai status, its operational area was the Yayosugashi district.

In February 1809 Tokutarōs mother died. In the same month, his father handed the office of the fire brigade officer, a few months later, towards the end of the year also died the father. Of his three sisters is only known that the eldest had died in 1800.

Tokutaro was manager of a small group of firefighters. His living conditions were modest. The salary attached to the office was just enough to feed two people for a year with rice. The ten barracks where the fire department was housed, he had to share with 30 other officers and 300 men and their families. Like other members of the lowest rank of the samurai, the Gokenin, he was forced to look for other income. Gokenin families dealt often with homework such as the manufacture of umbrellas, boxes and wooden sandals.

The duties of a fire officer in Edo at the beginning of the 19th century were apparently not particularly extensive [note 2] and so Tokutaro had incidentally time to begin an apprenticeship as a woodblock artist. Why he chose just this craft, civilian job to earn some extra money for his livelihood, is completely unknown.

Unofficial painting lessons in the style of the Kano school he had with one of his superiors and friend, Okajima Rinzo (or Rinsai ) was obtained. For a member of the samurai stands, even of the lowest rank, this would be nothing extraordinary in calligraphy and basic knowledge of painting belonged to their standard training. The signature of an allegedly obtained from his childhood painting, which shows an embassy of the king of the Ryukyu Islands to the shogun, and to prove his early extraordinary drawing ability is by Forrer doubtful, and even if it could be attributed to Hiroshige, there could be no special recognize talent.

According to tradition, to Tokutaro initially applied for a teaching position at the prestigious woodcut artist of his time, Utagawa Toyokuni I, was dismissed from the latter. Finally, to mediation by a wealthy owner of a lending library, he could at the lesser known Utagawa Toyohiro begin his training in 1810 or 1811. From this he received, as evidenced by a surviving letter, already in 1812 the permission to run the school name and artist name Utagawa Hiroshige. Unusually, he had obtained this permission prior to the completion of the teaching. Was that this circumstance of his extraordinary talent owed, as often claimed in the literature, however, is highly unlikely. From this time there is no signed Hiroshige work ( an allegedly derived from his brush pressure of 1813 according to Forrer be dated to 1819) and the works that are signed after completion of the apprenticeship in 1818 and the subsequent ten years of his are, do not show any above-average abilities, rather the opposite is the case.

During the apprenticeship the budding graphic artist was like all the other apprentices with learning the basic techniques of painting and drawing including the Uki -e, to trace the work of the teacher and the other viewed woodcut master, with the study of other art schools like the Nanga and the Shijō - School and from time to time with designs for book illustrations busy. Toyohiro even recorded as other artists of the Ukiyo -e designs for actors and kabuki prints ( Yakusha -e ), pictures of beautiful women ( bijin -ga ), prints of historical events ( Musha -e ), City Views of Edo ( Meisho -e) and illustrations for popular audiences Ehon.

Until around 1827, around Hiroshige received from publishers only a few orders for printing drafts. It originated some book illustrations, Kabuki Prints, bijin -ga and Musha -e, all of which is inspired by his contemporaries Kunisada, occasionally there are also echoes of Kuniyoshi. The quality of his idols but he did not reach and M. Forrer called these early prints rather than curiosities.

In 1823 Tokutaro / Hiroshige had passed his position as a fire officer to his adopted son Nakajirō, for whom he worked as a deputy for several years. 1828 died his teacher Toyohiro who had offered him before his death, to take over his studio and his name. Hiroshige would, however, rejected this for unknown reasons. From 1827 to the year 1830 are by Hiroshige, no work known only after he was again small orders for the design of Surimono and probably designed his first " bird and flower " prints. Around 1831 he published his first ten sheets comprehensive series " Famous Views of the Eastern Capital " and a first series entitled " Eight Views of Ōmi " (known as " Eight Views of Lake Biwa "). This executed in a previously unknown type prints have obviously found the best audience, they have already been printed in several editions. Then Hiroshige received his first really significant order: He should draw the designs for a comprehensive series of 55 prints of the stations Tōkai Street. The following year, the first prints of the series " The 53 Stations of the Tōkai Street " appeared. [Note 3] At the latest in 1834 were completed, all the prints in the series and were sold as complete scrapbooks with title page and table of contents, a special indication that they were hit with buyers on brisk demand. With the printing of this series, among which are some of the best work of Hiroshige, he established his reputation as the draftsman of landscapes for color woodcuts in the last three decades of the Edo period. In the years up to his death in 1858 he was able to escape before orders hardly. The number of shares subscribed by Hiroshige print designs is given by some authors with about 8,000 works, a more realistic figure is probably generated 4000-4500, plus the numerous illustrations for about 120 books. He has drawn not only the designs for scenery prints, but also for subjects, envelopes, bijin -ga, " Bird and Flowers " Prints ( Kacho -ga ), game boards, and Genji - prints.

Despite the enormous number of works he could with his hand track no great wealth. For his designs, he was just twice as much pay as the workers who worked on the fortifications of Shinagawa. In order to improve its budgetary situation but orders have certainly contributed for his paintings, of which have received a few dozen, and for their private clients have paid for each of up to an annual income of an unskilled worker.

Otherwise, about the life Hiroshige's not much known. An autobiography, which he is said to have written, burned in 1876. A first wife died in 1839. Uspenski mentions the death of a son named Tojiro in 1845. From the second marriage with Oyasu, the daughter of a farmer named Kaemon, he had a daughter, Otatsu. [Note 4] This was first marriage with Shigenobu, the adopted son and Protégé Hiroshige, who in 1858 introduced the name Hiroshige II after the death of the teacher. Only after the death of the first wife Hiroshige had moved out of the fire brigade barracks, first in the quarter Oga -chō, then to Tokiwa -chō and finally around 1850 after Nakabashi Kanō Shindo, all addresses. Within the urban area of ​​Edo After 1840, several extended trips are in the provinces of Japan occupied ( 1841 in the province of Kai, 1844 to the peninsula Boso, 1845 in the province of Mutsu and 1848 by Shinano ), emerged on which numerous sketches of the different landscapes that and later in printing designs paintings were elaborated.

At the age of 62 years Hiroshige died; he is buried in a Buddhist temple in the Asakusa district of Edo. In the two years that preceded his death, he has drawn "100 Famous Views of Edo " the designs for his last series. This series was his artistic legacy. The prints show his hometown Edo at its best and they show Hiroshige at the height of his artistic creativity. In the series, many of his best works are included, such as the eagle over the snow -covered plain of jumantsubo or rain showers over the big bridge Atake.

Signatures

Most of the work of Hiroshige labeled " Hiroshige ga " or " Hiroshige hitsu " some books are " Utashige " (歌 重) signed ( 1830-44 ).

From his nickname used ( gō names) were Ichiyūsai (from 1818-30 written with the kanji "一 勇 斎" and 1830/31 with the Kanji "一 幽 斎" ), Ichiryūsai (一 立 斎) from 1832-42 and Ryusai (立 斎) from 1842-58. In paintings was occasionally in addition to name the seal " Tōkaidō " in use.

Student

• Utagawa Hiroshige II ( 1826-69 ), former stage name Shigenobu; after the death of Hiroshige I, he took his name, after his divorce from Hiroshige's daughter Otatsu in 1865, he called again Shigenobu (重 宣), he also used the name Rissho (立 祥).
• Utagawa Hiroshige III. ( 1842-94 ), former stage name Shigemasa (重 政) and Hiromasa (広 政), took the name of the teacher after his marriage to Otatsu in 1865.
• Utagawa Hirokage (広 景, active 1855-1865 ).
• Nakayama Sugakudō ( active 1850-1860 ).

In addition, lists F. Swan still Shigemasa, Shigemaru, Shigefusa, Shigehisa, Shigeyoshi, Shigehana, Shigetoshi and Shiko (all without further information ).

Work

Hiroshige's first confirmed work has been published in 1818. There were illustrations of the " book of poems Murasaki's " as well as some actor prints. The following year he designed his first Surimono. In 1820 he designed some series with images of women ( bijin -ga ), some warrior images ( Musha -e) and illustrated several books. By the year 1827 was followed by sporadic similar printed matter, supplemented by several landscape series with small-format printing and more Surimono. Shortly after 1830, he received from the publisher Kawaguchiya Shozo the contract for the design of the first ten-part series titled " Famous Views of the Eastern Capital ". A second series of the same with 28 leaves was given to 1833/34 of Sanoya Kihei in order.

Already one or two years earlier to 1832/33, Hiroshige was the publisher Takenouchi Magohachi ( Hoeido ) the contract for the design of its first 55 Print Tōkaidō series obtained ( " The 53 Stations of the Tōkaidō ," known as Hoeido Tōkaidō ). With this series, he established his reputation as the leading artist of the landscape pressure of his time.

Station 16: Yui

Station 37: Fujikawa (now Okazaki )

Station 41: Miya (now Nagoya )

Most prints are inspired by illustrations of the series known as the first guide compiled by Akisato Rito in 1797 and in the following years repeatedly reissued Tōkaidō meisho zue ( " Collected Views beautiful places along the Tōkaidō "). New in Hiroshige's artistic conception of landscape was not that he is " lively street scenes with people from ordinary people going about their business on the major road, (for ) the subject of the artistic discourse " made ​​. Such genre scenes had been previously marked among others by Toyohiro and Hokusai. New in Hiroshige's images was the harmonious integration of people representation in sweeping landscapes. He designed lyrical images, in which the viewer could perceive the mood of nature untainted by philosophical musings on nature and man directly. Hiroshige's people carry burdens, but they are not loaded. He met the taste of broad social layers and put the thoughts of the Ukiyo as the " serene, floating world " completed in the Japanese landscape print to. It is estimated that up to 20,000 copies were made ​​from the first printing plates until they were no longer usable by individual leaves of the series. In the 19th century new plates had been cut in order to make more runs. In the 20th century made ​​more reissues and even in the third millennium are still sold prints of this series as woodblock prints.

By 1835, also was commissioned by Takenouchi Magohachi the series "Eight Views of Lake Biwa " which undoubtedly belongs to his masterpieces. In the first edition printed only in shades of gray, the prints of this series show atmospheric magnificent scenery around one of the most popular lakes in Japan. To meet the public taste, had for later editions, however, some color plates are added. 1836/37 Hiroshige began prints for the series to feature " The 69 stations of the Kisokaido ". This project had the publisher Iseya Rihei taken over by Magohachi, who had initially commissioned Keisai iron with the design of prints and had delivered to 1836 24 designs. The final designs for this very extensive series presented Hiroshige only in 1841 finished.

From 1835 to the mid-1850s, several thousand Meisho -e prints created ( " images of beautiful places " ), which usually show the Stations of the Tokaido and the excursion courses in and around Edo, but also views of Osaka and Kyoto were among them. Finally, variations of the same theme, often of questionable artistic value: Superficially drawn and mostly of poor print quality in order to sell them cheap as a souvenir of travelers and sightseers can. In the 1840s Hiroshige involved with some designs to the produced along with Kunisada and Kuniyoshi series of "One Hundred Poets" and the "parallel images of the Tōkaidō ". And in the 1850s resulted in several series in collaboration with Kunisada. Among other things, the 50 prints of the series " Famous Restaurants of the Eastern Capital " (1852 ) and the 55 prints of the series " The Tōkai - road of two brushes ( Painted) " ( 1857). For all common Kunisada series drew the figures of the foreground and the background of Hiroshige and the cartridges of wallpapers. A particularly successful example of this collaboration were the triptychs of 1853 created the series " A modern Genji ", are known from the eight designs.

Hiroshige's championship in the design of the landscape pressure reached in the 1850s, in spite of the same commodity produced a new peak.

Amazing images of the spectacular scenery of Japan emerged in high -scale prints of the highest print quality: 1853-56 in the series " Famous Places of the 60 provinces of Japan ", in 1855 in the series " The 53 Stations of the Tōkaidō " (which he here for the last time alone recorded ) and 1858 in the " the 36 Views of Mount Fuji" ( actually the last drawn from Hiroshige series). Uoya Eikichi finally produced the also highly informative series " One Hundred Famous Views of Edo ". Overall drawn appeared different from the title a total of 118 sheets, three of them from his master students Shigenobu ( Hiroshige II ) in the years 1856-58 ( after the death of Hiroshige I. drew Hiroshige II in 1859, the draft further pressure, in later conditions the sheet " Paulownien in Akasaka " replaced ). Hiroshige himself described the prints in this series as his best work, which was to represent his artistic legacy.

Throughout his career, Hiroshige drew designs for the entire spectrum of Japanese woodblock prints. Not good are his few acting, warriors and Chūshingura prints. Impressive, however, are his many " bird and flower " prints that reflect atmospheric impressions of nature. Also among its approximately 500 designs for subjects Prints and occasionally custom built Bijin -ga offers pleasant prints. From collectors and museums are also appreciated and wanted a few hundred paintings that he had painted to order for his contemporary admirers.

Influence

The influence of Japanese woodcuts and especially Hiroshige's influence on the Impressionist painting is particularly evident in two images of Vincent van Gogh, which arose in 1887 in Paris. The models for this were two prints from the series " One Hundred Famous Views of Edo ", " garden of plum trees in Kameido " and " rain over the big bridge in Atake " ( the prints are part of van Gogh's preserved, nearly 500 prints comprehensive collection of Japanese woodcuts, which contains a total of 75 Hiroshige Prints). Both paintings of van Gogh were still influenced by the Paris Japonism, his own style was still undeveloped and the lines are weak. However, the strong, flat color contrasts leads one to suspect its further development. A little later he put the essential elements of Japanese woodblock ( clean lines, stylized shapes and color filled areas ) consistently in the technique of Western oil painting. More congenial artists such as Paul Gauguin and Henri Toulouse- Lautrec took up this new style of painting.