Hiroshige

artist of the open road

Alfred Haft

$90

Hardback

In stock
Ready to ship

QTY:

English

British Museum Press
01 July 2025

Art & Architecture; Oriental art; Painting & paintings; Individual artists, art monographs; Animals & nature in art (still life, landscapes & seascapes)

'Offers a crisp and intelligent perspective on the sociopolitical currents that shaped [Hiroshige's] vision' - The New European

'And therein lies the power of this beautiful book as it reveals Hiroshige's vast artistic imagination and astonishing technical skill. This really is a book you'll want to read again and again. Just superb!' - Arts Hub

Hiroshige was one of Japan's most talented, prolific and popular artists. Famed for his landscapes, he was also a great observer of nature with a visionary approach to colour and brushwork. His legacy continues to influence and inspire artists today.

Over a career spanning four decades, the prolific Utagawa Hiroshige (1797-1858) produced thousands of landscape and nature prints, hundreds of paintings commissioned by the samurai elite, as well as many illustrated books. His work appealed to every stratum of society. While some of his landscape prints, such as Evening Snow - Kanbara and Ohashi - Evening Rain, are well-known examples of Japanese art, the full range of his output is less familiar.

Hiroshige came from a samurai family, but he crossed social boundaries and devoted himself to depicting popular customs and the world around him. His work is distinguished by an air of gentle grace and decorum, perhaps arising partly from his steady temperament. His calm artistic vision sustained his contemporaries through the uncertainties of daily life and changing times. A great colourist, he stands out for discovering a subtle lyricism in the experience of travel, and a bond between people and the natural world.

Featuring highlights from leading private collections of Hiroshige prints, alongside works by Hiroshige and other artists from the British Museum's outstanding collection of Japanese art and from other major collections, this lavishly illustrated new publication celebrates one of the world's most accomplished artists.

By: Alfred Haft
Imprint: British Museum Press
Country of Publication: United Kingdom
Dimensions: Height: 280mm, Width: 250mm,
Weight: 1.580kg
ISBN: 9780714137001
ISBN 10: 0714137006
Pages: 224
Publication Date: 01 July 2025
Audience: General/trade , ELT Advanced
Format: Hardback
Publisher's Status: Active

Forewords Introduction 1. The road to Hiroshige 2. Nature all around 3. Catching a summer breeze 4. Picturing the open road 5. Onwards from Hiroshige Notes Further reading Acknowledgements Credits Index

Alfred Haft is JTI Project Curator for Japanese Collections and Curator of the exhibition Hiroshige at the British Museum. Previous publications include Salon culture in Japan: making art, 1750-1900 (contributor, 2024), Late Hokusai: Society, Thought, Technique, Legacy (contributor, 2023), Hokusai: beyond the Great Wave (contributor, 2017) and Aesthetic Strategies of the Floating World (author, 2012).

Reviews for Hiroshige: artist of the open road

'As thorough as it is beautiful…This is a book to return to time and again, not only to experience awe at the exacting technical skills of this celebrated and prolific artist, but to be inspired by Hiroshige’s unique depictions of a nature-rich world in Edo-era Japan.' - Printmaking Today magazine