Clearing Skies at Ochanomizu thumbnail 1
Not on display

Clearing Skies at Ochanomizu

Woodblock Print
1843-1847 (made)
Artist/Maker
Place of origin

The blustery scene depicted in this uchiwa-e (rigid fan print) design by Hiroshige is set on the high ground immediately to the north of the Kanda river on the south-west edge of Edo's Hongo district. The aqueduct on the lower left carried water from the Kanda Water Supply to Edo Castle and the central parts of the city to the east. The geometry of Mount Fuji, visible on the horizon to the south-west, is echoed in the slant of the lines that mark the boundaries of the passing storm. The design is one of a complete set of eight prints owned by the V&A. The Hakkei ('Eight Views') formula was a popular one, having its ultimate source in Chinese paintings of the Xiao and Xiang rivers. It was originally used in Japan in the form of poetic and painterly references to eight famous sites around Lake Biwa in south-west Japan’s Omi Province (modern Shiga Prefecture).

Object details

Category
Object type
Titles
  • Clearing Skies at Ochanomizu (assigned by artist)
  • Eight Views of Edo (series title)
Materials and techniques
Colour print from woodblocks
Brief description
Woodblock print, Utagawa Hiroshige I; 'Clearing Skies at Ochanomizu', from the series 'Eight Views of Edo'; fan print, Japanese, 1843-1847
Physical description
Fan print, aiban size. Artist signature: Hiroshige ga. Publisher mark: Ibaya Senzaburo. Censor seal: Yoshimura.
Dimensions
  • Approx. height: 220mm
  • Approx. width: 290mm
Style
Object history
Purchased from J. S. Happer, accessioned in 1911. This acquisition information reflects that found in the Asia Department registers, as part of a 2022 provenance research project.
Place depicted
Summary
The blustery scene depicted in this uchiwa-e (rigid fan print) design by Hiroshige is set on the high ground immediately to the north of the Kanda river on the south-west edge of Edo's Hongo district. The aqueduct on the lower left carried water from the Kanda Water Supply to Edo Castle and the central parts of the city to the east. The geometry of Mount Fuji, visible on the horizon to the south-west, is echoed in the slant of the lines that mark the boundaries of the passing storm. The design is one of a complete set of eight prints owned by the V&A. The Hakkei ('Eight Views') formula was a popular one, having its ultimate source in Chinese paintings of the Xiao and Xiang rivers. It was originally used in Japan in the form of poetic and painterly references to eight famous sites around Lake Biwa in south-west Japan’s Omi Province (modern Shiga Prefecture).
Collection
Accession number
E.534-1911

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Record createdMarch 11, 2003
Record URL
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