Hôeidô Tôkaidô Series: Sudden Shower at Shôno / Andô Hiroshige
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About this Item
Record Details
- Accession Number
- 1948/1.130
- Title
- Hôeidô Tôkaidô Series: Sudden Shower at Shôno
- Artist
- Andô Hiroshige
- Artist Nationality
- Japanese
- Artist Life Dates
- 1797-1858
- Medium and Support
- color woodblock print on paper
- Object Creation Date
- 1833-1834
- Object Creation Place
- Asia (continent)
- Japan (nation)
- Creation Place 1
- Asia (continent)
- Creation Place 2
- Japan (nation)
- Credit Line
- Bequest of Margaret Watson Parker
- Style/Group/Movement
- ukiyo e
- Inscription
- Signed: Hiroshige ga Publisher's Seal: Hoyeido
- Dimensions
- 21.9 cm x 34 cm (8 5/8 in. x 13 3/8 in.)
- Century
- 19th century
- Primary Object Classification
- Primary Object Type
- color print
- Secondary Object Classification
- Secondary Object Type
- landscape
- Physical Description
- Here, caught in a sudden downpour, people rush along the steep hillside. Bamboo bends under the force of wind and rain, and the people in the foreground mimic this downward motion in order to shield their eyes from the water streaming upon them in torrents. Masterfully depicted, the viewer can almost feel the bullets of rain, and sense of sympathy for these unfortunate travelers.
- Subject Matter
- Shono is a 2.5 mile stretch of mountain path along the suzuka river. In legend, hero Yamato Takeru is fabled to have turned into a white swan somewhere along this stretch.
- In this scene, the palaquin bearers scramble against the hill and torrential rain. Villagers bow their heads and straw hats and umbrellas into the wind to shield them from the sudden rain. Legs are raised upwards to show effort and speed as the people race to get out of the rain. Int he background the bamboo bend under the downpour, and the intensity of the rain gradually obscures them from our view.
- --
- The roaring success of the Hôeidô Tôkaidô series of woodblock prints firmly established Andô Hiroshige’s reputation as a master of his craft. Hiroshige had received attention for his previous publication of “Famous Places in the Eastern Capital,” but it was these 53 images along the Tokaidô Road that brought Hiroshige massive fame.
- Travel guides and souvenirs from famous places and destinations were already on the market, and it was from some of these guides that Hiroshige often based his images. Some speculate that the mass appeal of the Hôeidô Tôkaidô series is due to the feeling, by viewing this images, that one is able to journey the famous road from Kyoto to the capital city of Edo without having to set foot on steep mountain paths or face inclement weather.
- Inclement weather, however, is a phenomenon that Hiroshige excels at depicting. Here, caught in a sudden downpour, people rush along the steep hillside. Bamboo bends under the force of wind and rain, and the people in the foreground mimic this downward motion in order to shield their eyes from the water streaming upon them in torrents. Masterfully depicted, the viewer can almost feel the bullets of rain, and sense of sympathy for these unfortunate travelers.
- Secondary Keywords
- associated concepts
- buildings and the land
- costume
- costume accessories
- costume accessories carried
- earth sciences concepts
- events
- landscapes (environments)
- natural events
- natural landscapes
- objects we use
- people and culture
- physical activities
- physical activities by general context
- physical sciences concepts
- plants
- scientific concepts
- settlements and landscapes
- vegetation and vegetation components
- vegetation components
- weather and related phenomena
- weather-related phenomena
- woody plants
- Rights
- If you are interested in using an image for a publication, please visit https://umma.umich.edu/about/services/request-image/ for more information and to fill out the online Image Rights and Reproductions Request Form.
Technical Details
- Collection
- University of Michigan Museum of Art
- Image Size
- 1195 x 773
- File Size
- 98 KB
- Record
- 1948/1.130
- Link to this Item
-
https://quod.lib.umich.edu/m/musart/x-1948-sl-1.130/1948_1.130.jpg
Rights and Permissions
Related Links
Portfolios
- In public portfolios
IIIF
- Manifest
-
https://quod.lib.umich.edu/cgi/i/image/api/manifest/musart:1948-SL-1.130:1948_1.130.JPG
Cite this Item
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- Full citation
-
"Hôeidô Tôkaidô Series: Sudden Shower at Shôno; Andô Hiroshige." In the digital collection University of Michigan Museum of Art. https://quod.lib.umich.edu/m/musart/x-1948-sl-1.130/1948_1.130.jpg. University of Michigan Library Digital Collections. Accessed April 19, 2024.
