Rest at a Tea-shop at Fukuroi

Catalog note / 解説

Rest at a Tea-shop at Fukuroi, from the series "Fifty-three Stations of the Tokaido", by Utagawa Hiroshige (1797-1858) This print is at first glance deceptively simple, and yet it might be considered one of Hiroshige's finest. At a little tea shop set up outside the station or rest area along the Tokaido highway, a traveler has stopped for a quick cup of tea and a welcome seat. The master of the tea shop and his wife are building up the fire under their tea kettle. The guest idly gazes here and there, exuding a sense of restful calm. In the midst of this completely unassuming scene, the expression of the traveler's feelings draws the viewer into that "on the road" sensibility.