Autumn Moon in Japanese Woodblock Prints: Hiroshige, Eisen, Zeshin, Chikanobu, and Toyokuni II
An article from DailyArt Magazine delves into the depiction of the autumn moon in 19th-century Japanese woodblock prints by five notable ukiyo-e artists. Utagawa Hiroshige, recognized as the final prominent master of ukiyo-e, crafted pieces such as Autumn Moon at Ishiyama (circa 1834) and Autumn Moon at Tama River (approximately 1829–1833). In 1846, Keisai Eisen, famed for his bijin-ga, created Autumn Moon over Atago Hill. Shibata Zeshin, who worked during the late Edo to early Meiji periods, produced Autumn Grasses in Moonlight (1872). Meiji artist Toyohara Chikanobu created Monday: Autumn Moon over Sumida River in 1895, while Utagawa Toyokuni II, the adopted son of Toyokuni I, made Autumn Moon at Tamagawa (circa 1830). The article includes visuals from Wikiart and the Metropolitan Museum of Art.
Key facts
- Utagawa Hiroshige is considered the last great master of ukiyo-e, a tradition that developed in the 17th century in Edo, modern Tokyo.
- Keisai Eisen was seven years older than Hiroshige and focused on bijin-ga, portraits of beautiful women.
- Shibata Zeshin's art was disliked in Japan; he was considered an epigone and a panderer to Europeans.
- Toyohara Chikanobu served in the Shōgitai corps and surrendered in the Battle of Ueno in 1868 before becoming an artist.
- Utagawa Toyokuni II used the name Toyoshige before Toyokuni I's death in 1826, then switched to Toyokuni, which Kunisada rejected.
- Shibata Zeshin's Autumn Grasses in Moonlight (1872) is held at the Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York City.
- Keisai Eisen's Autumn Moon over Atago Hill (Atagosan no aki no tsuki) is from the series Eight Views of Edo, 1846.
- Toyohara Chikanobu's Monday: Autumn Moon over Sumida River dates to 1895.
Entities
Artists
- Utagawa Hiroshige
- Keisai Eisen
- Shibata Zeshin
- Toyohara Chikanobu
- Yōshū Chikanobu
- Utagawa Toyokuni II
- Toyokuni I
- Toyoshige
- Kunisada
Institutions
- DailyArt Magazine
- Metropolitan Museum of Art
- Wikiart
- Shōgitai
Locations
- Edo
- Tokyo
- Japan
- New York City
- United States
- Atago Hill
- Sumida River
- Tama River
- Ishiyama
- Tamagawa
- Ueno