Hiroshige
Today, we present a print from Hiroshige's famous One Hundred Famous Views of Edo series. It is distinguished by its resolute symmetry, softened by irregular stylized cloud forms traditionally used in Japanese paintings to separate scenes in pictorial narratives. These Genji clouds (named after their use in illustrated versions of the Tale of Genji) focus attention on Mount Fuji above and the urban bustle below on Suruga-cho street in Edo, which is now Tokyo.
This midday scene captures Edo's premier store, Echigoya, which occupied both corners of Suruga-cho as seen from the main Nihonbashi thoroughfare. The store on the left (now Mitsukoshi Department Store) dealt in silk fabrics, while the store on the right (now Mitsui Bank) dealt in nonsilk fabrics. The Mitsui family trademark, a circle design, is repeated throughout the store. Among the diverse figures in the street are men carrying large blue packs filled with dry goods ready for delivery.
P.S. If you're a Hiroshige fan, you should check out our selection of Japanese art in our bestselling postcard set. :)
P.P.S. Japanese art is so diverse! Check out 10 incredible Japanese woodblock prints you need to know!