Temma Bridge at Settsu Province

This beautiful colored woodcut created by Hokusai belongs to the Remarkable Views of Bridges in Various Provinces series. Temma Bridge was the furthest upstream on the Yodo River of the "Three Great Bridges of Osaka," closest to the castle. Here Hokusai shows a scene of the night of the Temma festival in the sixth month (late summer), when the bridge is thronged with spectators and decorated with lanterns. The number of boats below is somewhat sparse, judging from the description of the festival in Settsu meisho zue (1796): "...it is a hundred times better to see it than hear about it." Rather than depicting the event, however, Hokusai seems more interested in emphasizing the elegant geometry of the wide, curving bridge.

Japanese woodcuts with bridges were particularly important for the development of Western art history and tomorrow you will see why! Meanwhile please check our Japanese Art Postcard Sets, with 50 amazingly beautiful masterpieces, including of course, Hokusai.  :)

P.S. See Hokusai's most beautiful and famous series depicting Mount Fuji.  <3