Evening Bell at Ueno (Ueno no banshô)

Catalog note / 解説

The view in this <i>uchiwa-e</i> (rigid fan print) design by Hiroshige is taken from the western end of the bridge that connects the island in the middle of the Shinobazu Pond to the mainland on the south-east edge of Edo's Hongo district. Shades of grey and a hint of purple in the lower sky provide a tranquil backdrop to the scene of two women and a small boy out on an evening stroll. The buildings in the background are part of the Kan'eiji Temple complex, which was built in 1625 as Edo's equivalent of the Enryakuji Temple on Mount Hiei to the north-east of Kyoto. The design is one of a complete set of eight prints owned by the V&A. The <i>Hakkei</i> ('Eight Views') formula was a popular o…