Utagawa Hiroshige

Utagawa Hiroshige began in precarious circumstances

Utagawa Hiroshige was born Andō Tokutarō in Edo (today Tokyo) in 1797. His father, Mitsuemon Genemon belonged to the rank of samurai and served the Bakufu (regime) in a hereditary post as fire officer. After the death of his mother in February 1809, his father passed on the position only to die shortly after, forcing Utagawa Hiroshige to eke out a living in very modest circumstances - his pay was just enough to provide two people with the staple food of rice for a year. He lived with more than 300 subordinates spread across 10 simple barracks and was forced to look for additional ways to earn money. This was not unusual for the lowest samurai class of Go-kenin to which Hiroshige belonged, and common activities included making sandals or umbrellas at home. Utagawa Hiroshige, on the other hand, opted for an apprenticeship as a woodblock carver, a craft that was intrinsically associated with the bourgeoisie.

Lessons and a new name through Utagawa Toyohiro

As a young man, Utagawa Hiroshige experienced a time of artistic awakening in the Shogun city of Edo. He himself had already received private painting tuition from a superior and friend, who mastered the skill of the Kano School taught since the 15th century. Countless talented artists were active in the streets of the imperial city, and portraits in particular enjoyed great popularity. Utagawa Toyohiro (1774-1830), a grand master of the art of printing, took the 14-year-old Tokutarō into his home, gave him the artist's name Hiroshige and his own family name Utagawa, and gave him instruction. At first, the young student tried to get as close as possible to his teacher's style and imitated him. Over time, however, Utagawa Hiroshige developed his own approach, and even in his choice of motifs, he eventually broke away from traditional motifs. While he had drawn mainly people and animals until he was 35, he then turned to city scenes. His 21-sheet series on the eastern part of the city of Edo was a great success and brought the artist his first major commission: a series on the famous Tōkai Street.

Great fame and recognition, but no wealth

Utagawa Hiroshige benefited from the technique of woodblock printing, which enabled the easy and quick reproduction of his drawing. His woodblock prints of the Tōkai Road (The 53 Stations of the Tōkaidō) were thus widely distributed and established his reputation as the most important landscape artist in Japan. Utagawa Hiroshige developed considerable productivity and created several thousand print designs in his lifetime, but did not achieve great wealth due to the traditionally poor pay of his profession. Only private clients provided a small supplement to the meagre income. He was married twice, and his daughter from his second marriage was married to his master student Shigenobu. Hiroshige's last major work was the series 100 Famous Views of Edo, which became his artistic legacy.

Utagawa Hiroshige died at the age of 62 in Edo on 12 October 1858 and was buried in a Buddhist temple in the Asakusa district.