The Hashiba Crossing

Catalog note / 解説

The view of the Hashiba ferry crossing in this <i>uchiwa-e</i> (rigid fan print) design by Hiroshige is taken from the embankment that marked the western edge of the Mukojima district in north-east Edo. In the centre, across the Sumida river, is the Massaki Shrine, while on the near bank are the thatched roofs of the huts in the immediate vicinity of the crossing. The tall trees that are usually shown surrounding the huts have been dispensed with in this design in order to give prominence to the figures under the blossoming cherry tree in the foreground and to give a clearer view across the river. This is evidence of the license commonly exercised by Hiroshige and other artists in the inter…