View of Autumn Maples at Ishiyama Temple in Omi Province

Catalog note / 解説

This 'uchiwa-e' (rigid fan print) design by Hiroshige shows an autumn scene. The setting is the grounds of the Ishiyama Temple at the southern end of Lake Biwa in Shiga Prefecture. This is where the court lady Murasaki Shikibu is reputed to have written her great novel <i>The Tale of Genji</i> (early 11th century). You can see Lake Biwa and its eastern shore on the left. On the right, behind the partially visible temple building, you can see one of the peaks in the mountainous area to the east of the Seta River. The red lead Hiroshige used to create the intense red of the maple leaves has begun to tarnish, particularly towards the right of the print. Materials: Colour print from woodblocks