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Lot Essay
Possibly inspired by the success of Hokusai’s Thirty-six Views of Mount Fuji, the first major series of horizontal landscape prints in Japan, the publisher Takenouchi Magohachi (Hoeido) recognized the growing appeal of landscape imagery and commissioned Hiroshige, then known primarily for his bird-and-flower prints, to design a series depicting the stations of the Tokaido Road. The resulting fifty-five prints, now commonly known as the “Great Tokaido” or "Hoeido Tokaido" (lots 114-120), established Hiroshige as one of the foremost landscape artists of the Edo period, and formally established landscape prints as an important genre in Japanese art.
The series incorporates elements associated with nanga, or literati painting, from the Chinese-style calligraphic titles to certain aspects of its compositions. these features reflect both Hiroshige’s exposure to literati-style painting and the broader fascination with Chinese literati culture in the 19th century Japan. The series proved enormously successful and was reprinted numerous times, with some designs eventually requiring newly cut blocks to meet continued demand.
The present lot, Nihonbashi, appropriately marks the beginning of the journey. Nihonbashi bridge was designated the point of origin for the five major highways (Gokaido) radiating from Edo, including the Tokaido. Situated close to Edo Castle and at the heart of a thriving commercial district, the bridge stood beside waterways crowded with transportation and commerce, including the nearby fish market. Its designation as the starting point of the highway network was deeply symbolic. Established soon after the Tokugawa shogunate consolidated its authority in Edo, Nihonbashi effectively positioned the city as the new geographical center of Japan, reflecting the Tokugawa government’s broader ambition to shift the country’s political center of gravity eastward from the capital city Kyoto in the west, to the eastern capital Edo.
The series incorporates elements associated with nanga, or literati painting, from the Chinese-style calligraphic titles to certain aspects of its compositions. these features reflect both Hiroshige’s exposure to literati-style painting and the broader fascination with Chinese literati culture in the 19th century Japan. The series proved enormously successful and was reprinted numerous times, with some designs eventually requiring newly cut blocks to meet continued demand.
The present lot, Nihonbashi, appropriately marks the beginning of the journey. Nihonbashi bridge was designated the point of origin for the five major highways (Gokaido) radiating from Edo, including the Tokaido. Situated close to Edo Castle and at the heart of a thriving commercial district, the bridge stood beside waterways crowded with transportation and commerce, including the nearby fish market. Its designation as the starting point of the highway network was deeply symbolic. Established soon after the Tokugawa shogunate consolidated its authority in Edo, Nihonbashi effectively positioned the city as the new geographical center of Japan, reflecting the Tokugawa government’s broader ambition to shift the country’s political center of gravity eastward from the capital city Kyoto in the west, to the eastern capital Edo.