Hiroshige: Goyu - Honno Plain and Honzaka Pass
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Utagawa Hiroshige (1797-1858)

Passers-by and angling children on a willow-lined riverbank. Behind a range of mountains rises the cone of Mount Fuji.

Title: Goyu - Honnogahara Honzakagoe (Goyu - Honno Plain and Honzaka Pass) - No. 36

Series: Gojûsan-tsugi meisho zue (Famous views of the 53 places, i.e. stations of the Tôkaidô highway), also known as "Vertical Tôkaidô" - Station No. 36

Signature: Hiroshige hitsu

Publisher: Tsutaya Kichizô (Kôeidô), Edo

Censor: Aratame

Date: 1855, 7th month

Size: Vertical Ôban, 34,2 x 22,5 cm (image size)

Very early, excellent impression, excellent colours, with strongly visible woodgrain and fine bokashi gradation. Unbacked. Lateral margins a little trimmed. Bottom right a small red printer’s smudge, a small printer’s error in the censorship seal. One very tiny wormhole in upper left corner. Verso in top margin two small paper remnants from former hinging. Overall excellent condition.
Yoneda/Walter, p. 88, No. 36. For this spring-like bright colour version with the light green willows cf. Chazen Museum of Art, Van Vleck Coll., No. 1980.1099; Honolulu Museum of Art, Michener Coll., No. 24964; Metropolitan Museum of Art, Rogers Fund, No. JP1205. For the colour variant with dark willows e.g. Vincent Van Gogh Foundation Collection, No. n0504M1986.
The place names in the title are occasionally read as Motonogahara and Motosaka.

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