Artist profile

Utagawa Hiroshige

1797–1858 • Edo (Tokyo), Japan

Portrait of Utagawa Hiroshige
Portrait source: Wikimedia Commons (public domain).
Detail from a portrait of Utagawa Hiroshige
Detail crop from the same portrait.

Hiroshige captured weather and travel with a poetic eye, turning everyday scenes into atmospheric visions.

Life and context

Hiroshige captured weather and travel with a poetic eye, turning everyday scenes into atmospheric visions.

Style and intention

Elegant compositions, atmospheric perspective, and lyrical weather effects.

Contributions and techniques

Popularized landscape series that influenced European painters.

Color woodblock prints with layered gradients and strong diagonals.

Key works in Explainary

Associated movements