Take a trip in the footsteps of the old Master
Beloved of tattoo artists, surfer dudes and mural painters in Camberwell, the great wave depicted in the woodblock print by the Japanese artist Hokusai has come to symbolise a forceful time of social change in Japan, writes Ed Gray.
Wars were fought, famines suffered, and cities swelled in the turbulence of the Edo period between 1615 and 1868. Hokusai channelled his artistic prowess into timely, epic, unforgettable images that still resonate all over the world today, but Utagawa Hiroshige followed swiftly in his wake, calmly surfing those choppy waters.
In Hiroshige: Artist of the Open Road, curator Alfred Haft has brought together 175 exquisite prints, painted fans and contemporary artworks to reveal the humanity that Hiroshige was able to chisel, ink and press from blocks of wood.
Orphan son to a fire warden Hiroshige took on the role himself aged twelve before picking up a paintbrush. Initially he worked in the style of the time, creating the ‘art of the floating world’ or ukiyo-e in Japanese, depicting languorous transient beauties – often in brothels, enveloped in decorous crisp silk kimonos as they await clients – or actors caught in a moment of heightened intensity. Insular Edo period Japan had sealed its borders, so Hiroshige turned his curious gaze inwards, a watchful eye trained on the fleeting moments in the lives of his kinsfolk and their place in the landscape, revealing scenes of pure humanity.
Soon enough the kimono drops, and Hiroshige reveals his true mastery of the artform, dextrously depicting his fellow citizens at work and leisure in stunning compositions in a timeless reverie – paeans to the simple pleasures of life. Detail, expression and pattern bring his foreground characters to life with minimal mark-making. Backgrounds are filled with deep colours, midnight blues, rose and brick red, often muted and faded – the gradation building layers and depth. Hiroshige beckons us to join him on the road and waves a circling arm at the vista in wonder.
Like any genuine city dweller, he chose to celebrate the more unexpected parts of the city, composing his scenes from the perspective of an urbanite rather than a tourist. In these spaces a flaneur will more likely find the heart of the city and her people. Umbrellas are swiftly pulled low as sudden rainstorms scatter crowds, deeper creases are cut into the woodblock as the snow flurries intensify, pipes are lit by weary traders and women determinedly carry heavy bundles of charcoal. A drunken customer staggers, escorted from a brothel as a sex worker laughs at his shrivelled stature. Life is hard but ordered in scenes that offer escapism and certainty in uncertain times
Working with 95 publishers, Hiroshige knew his market and built it with care, giving them not what they wanted but what he knew they would want, the truth about their lives laid bare, steering clear of hardships and settling instead for the soft swish of feet through snow rather than the unforgiving relentless cold. His wanderings took him through the natural world. He revelled in the beauty of plumage of pheasants and hawks, the floral patterns, the beauty of being present in the moment. It’s no wonder he retired to become a Buddhist monk.
The coda to this exhibition attempts to show the impact of Hiroshige’s art on the 20th century and would have benefited from even greater analysis if space allowed. Fairly inexpensive Japonisme was awash in19th C western society and impressionist and post-impressionist artists drank freely from its source, using it to replenish tired motifs and compositions. 400 woodblock prints were purchased by Theo and Vincent Van Gogh and one of those, a Plum Park in Kameido (1857), is presented here along with Vincent’s attempts to imbibe the pictorial dynamism of branches that cut into the dusky sky, as striking pink blossoms breakout across their boughs. There he is again, in Whistler’s muted Thames paintings. Herge’s Tintin illustrations and Studio Ghibli animations deserve a mention. That aside, this the first exhibition of Hiroshige’s work in 25 years and a spectacular opportunity to revisit his work.
Hiroshige’s heartbreakingly beautiful images reveal the little things that make the biggest impression. Turn off your devices, tune in and take a trip on the road in the footsteps of the old Master.
The British Museum until 7th September 2025
Booking and full details: https://www.britishmuseum.org/exhibitions/hiroshige-artist-open-road
