Utagawa Hiroshige 歌川広重 (1797-1858) mid 19th century Japan Ink and color on paper 20.9 × 33.5 cm (8 1/4 × 13 3/16 in) Accession Number: FSC-GR-779.28

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Utagawa Yoshitora 歌川芳虎 (active ca. 1850-1880) 1867 Japan Ink on paper 37.5 x 25.4 cm (14 3/4 x 10 in) Accession Number: S1998.101a-c

Utagawa Toyoharu 歌川豊春 (1735-1814) 1735-1814 Japan Color and gold on silk panel 87.3 × 32.9 cm (34 3/8 × 12 15/16 in) Accession Number: F1898.113

Utagawa Toyoharu was an important and influential painter of ukiyo-e who established a lineage of successful painters and print designers that continued into the Meiji era (1868-1912). This charming scene at the seashore reveals the technical versatility of Toyoharu's painting, ranging from the soft brushstrokes and ink washes depicting the landscape to the fluent rendering of the stylized waves. Rich, opaque color, meticulously applied and accented with gold, is restricted to the women's fashionable kimonos. Toyoharu's mastery of expression is apparent in this lively work: the women's garments seem to be caught by a breeze as they wade out to gather clams; the young woman deftly catches a fish with her hand.

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Utagawa Hiroshige was an artist who, in the late Edo period, established a new style of landscape painting within the world of ukiyo-e and exerted a profound influence even on European art circles. Born into the family of a fireman serving the shogunate, Hiroshige aspired to become an ukiyo-e artist and apprenticed under Toyohiro of the Utagawa school. After a period of practice producing actor prints and bijin-ga (pictures of beautiful women), he began in earnest to publish meisho-e (famous place prints, nishiki-e) around 1831 (Tenpō 2). In 1832 (Tenpō 3), he accompanied the procession for the Hassaku horse presentation (an annual ceremony in which the shogunate presented fine horses to the imperial court), during which he created a sketch diary based on his observations along the journey. The following year, in 1833 (Tenpō 4), he published what would become his breakthrough work, The Fifty-Three Stations of the Tōkaidō (Hōeidō edition). This series, consisting of 55 large-format prints, achieved explosive popularity and firmly established Hiroshige’s reputation as a master of landscape painting.

UTAGAWA HIROSHIGE

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(Portrait not available for this artist)

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Utagawa Yoshitora was a Japanese woodblock print artist active in the late 19th century. A student of Utagawa Kuniyoshi, he was later expelled due to artistic differences and went on to pursue an independent career under the name Mosai. His work includes prints of warriors, kabuki actors, beautiful women, and, most notably, foreigners. During the Edo period’s policy of isolation (sakoku), limited contact with the outside world sparked widespread curiosity about Western people and culture. After the port of Yokohama opened to foreign trade in 1859, Yoshitora became a leading artist in depicting these new subjects. In the Meiji period, he also created landscapes influenced by Western engraving and contributed illustrations to newly established newspapers.

UTAGAWA YOSHITORA

Utagawa Toyoharu (1735–1814) was a pioneering Japanese ukiyo-e artist and the founder of the Utagawa school. He is best known for introducing Western-style linear perspective into Japanese prints (ukie), creating a stronger sense of depth and realism. He was among the first to make landscape a central subject in ukiyo-e rather than just a background element, often depicting famous places and adapting ideas from European and Chinese prints. Toyoharu’s influence was lasting: the Utagawa school he founded became the dominant force in 19th-century ukiyo-e, producing major artists such as Hiroshige, Kuniyoshi, and Utamaro.

UTAGAWA TOYOHARU

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(Portrait not available for this artist)

Ukiyo-e (浮世絵), meaning “pictures of the floating world,” is a genre of Japanese art that flourished during the Edo period (1615 to 1868). Within the rigid social hierarchy established by the shogunate, merchants, despite being among the wealthiest, occupied the lowest rank and were excluded from political power. As a result, they turned to art and culture as spaces for expression and participation. Through collaboration among merchants, artists, publishers, and the townspeople of Edo, ukiyo-e developed its distinctive voice. It offered an alternative pathway to cultural recognition outside the traditional domains of the court, temples, and the shogunate.

“WHEN THE WORLD IS UKIYO-E” builds on this historical context and aims to reintroduce ukiyo-e to contemporary audiences from a new perspective. Through the use of vibrant colors and a playful user interface, it reinterprets subjects once depicted by ukiyo-e artists, such as scenes from everyday life and landscapes. By translating this spirit into a digital form, the project offers users a new opportunity to experience the “floating world” within a modern context.

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