Kisoji no yamakawa (Mountain river on the Kiso Road)

Hiroshige presents a sweeping panoramic view of the Kiso River blanketed in deep winter snow. The restrained palette of paper white, deep blue and soft ink tones heightens the sense of vastness and the intensity of the snowfall. The narrow gorge was one of the most challenging stretches of the Kisokaidō Road, and Hiroshige conveys its formidable scale through towering mountains, with the central peak extending dramatically beyond the picture frame.
This print is generally regarded as the ‘snow’ installment of Hiroshige’s celebrated final setsugekka trilogy, representing the three forms of natural beauty: snow, moon and flowers. The other two works are Moon at Kanazawa and Whirlpools at Awa. The design of the right sheet was later adapted by Hiroshige II for Shunshu Kiso no yuki from the series Shokoku meisho hyakkei, demonstrating the lasting appeal of Hiroshige’s composition.