Maker(s): Utagawa Hiroshige I
Culture: Japanese (1797-1858)
Title: Toto Yotsuya Junisha no Taki [Junisha Waterfall at Yotsuya in the Eastern Capital]
Date Made: c. 1852
Type: Print
Materials: Woodblock print (woodcut); Nishiki-e, Ink and colors on paper
Place Made: Asia; Japan
Measurements: Sheet: 12 1/2 in x 3 in; 31.7 cm x 7.6 cm; Image: 12 3/8 in x 3 in; 31.4 cm x 7.6 cm
Narrative Inscription: SIGNATURE: recto, lwr. ctr. (black ink): [Japanese character, Hiroshiges hitsu]; TITLE: recto, lwr. ctr. (black ink): [Japanese character, Toto Yotsuya Junisha no Taki].
Accession Number: MH 1973.272.Q.RII
Credit Line: Gift of Mrs. Louis C. Black
As a Hosoban or pillar print, Junisha Waterfall at Yotsuya in the Eastern Capital by Hiroshige captivates ones’ sensibilities with its minimalistic design and bold strokes of color against a mostly white composition. Pillar prints were a popular form of ukiyo-e due to their flexible dimensions that allowed them to be hung on a wall or pillar (hence the name) without taking up too much space. Due to their limited size artists also needed to be creative but concise in their designs. The use of negative, white space in the form of snow and water that takes up the majority of this print makes the few lines and splashes of color incredibly significant as they provide structural highlights to the natural features that are portrayed.