Utagawa Hiroshige (Japan, 1797-1858) - Lot 62

Lot n° 62
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15000 - 20000 EUR
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Result : 15 744EUR
Utagawa Hiroshige (Japan, 1797-1858) - Lot 62
Utagawa Hiroshige (Japan, 1797-1858) Print, oban tate-e, from the series Meisho Edo hyakkei (名所江戸百景), The Hundred Views of Edo, plate 64: Horikiri no hanashōbu (堀切之花菖蒲), Horikiri's iris garden. Signed Hiroshige ga. Publisher Uoya Eikichi. Dated the 5th month of the Year of the Serpent, 1857. (Bending, minor restorations). Size: 36.8 x 24.5 cm The "Hundred Views of Edo" series, Hiroshige's last masterpiece, is famous for its use of original viewpoints in which the foreground contrasts with the background. In this print, the artist transports the viewer to the Horikiri garden, reputed to have the most beautiful irises in the whole city. The flowers are depicted from the viewer's point of view, as if bending over to admire them more closely. The background shows the expanse of the park, through which visitors stroll. The tradition of growing flowers was a popular pastime in the late Edo period. A horticulturist by the name of Kodaka Izaemon is famous for having started growing irises in Horiki in the 17th century. It wasn't until the 19th century that one of his descendants developed the hybrid varieties that made Horikiri famous. Japanese iris varieties became popular in Europe after their introduction by Philipp Franz von Siebold (1796-1866) in the 1850s. The Horikiri garden also became famous in Europe, praised in botanical magazines, before falling into disuse at the beginning of the 20th century. Today, it still hosts an annual iris festival that attracts many visitors. Hiroshige's print reflects the enthusiasm for iris cultivation through the skilful use of color gradation (bokashi) and the diversity of flower petals. Several states of this print are known, with variations in the colors of the irises. The background is very similar to Hiroshige's depiction of the garden in volume 7 of his album Souvenirs d'Edo. Reference: A similar print held at the Art Institute, Chicago, n °1939.1422
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