Hiroshige: Moon Pine, Ueno (Ueno sannai tsuki no matsu) (Sold)

Artist: Utagawa Hiroshige
Title: Moon Pine, Ueno (Ueno sannai tsuki no matsu)
Series: One Hundred Famous Views of Edo (Meisho Edo Hyakkei)
Date: 8/1857

One of the better designs from “One Hundred Famous Views of Edo”. An early impression of this famous print, with strong woodgrain in the sky and traces of mica on the shading of the upper branch of the tree. This is a close-up picture of the famed pine tree with a moon-shaped looped branch, also named the Rope Pine (nawa no matsu) at the Shinobazu pond in Ueno. We see Benten Shrine in the lower right in the distance over the commoners’ houses and three fire watch towers of different daimyos estates--the one in the loop must be the tower in the estate of Maeda, lord of Kaga. To some, the changes from the first edition, including the darkest part of the water being at the very bottom and the sky being red rather than purple are esthetic improvements over the first edition. Hiroshige depicted this pine tree in another composition in 1856/4, a view from the Kiyomizu-dô, the Benten Shrine. This tree was blown off in a storm in the early Meiji Period.

To some, the changes from the first edition, including the darkest part of the water being at the very bottom and the sky being red rather than purple are esthetic improvements over the first edition. The close-up picture of the pine tree with a moon-shaped looped branch, also named the Rope Pine (nawa no matsu) at the Shinobazu pond in Ueno; Benten Shrine in lower right ; in the distance over the commoners’ houses, three fire watch towers of different daimyos estates; the one in the loop must be the tower in the estate of Maeda, lord of Kaga. Hiroshige depicted this pine tree in other composition in 1856/4, a view from the Kiyomizu-dô, the Benten Shrine. This tree was blown off in a storm in the early Meiji Period.

Condition: Very good impression, color and condition.
Dimensions: ôban
Publisher: Uoya Eikichi
Literature: Henry Smith II: Hiroshige One Hundred Famous View of Edo:plate 89
Seal: Censor’s seal “Aratame” and Date seal (mi hachi): 8th month of Snake year(1857)
Signature: Hiroshige ga

SKU: HIR446