Hiratsuka: The Nawate Road (1833)

Highlights

• Hiratsuka (7th Station), from the series Fifty-Three Stations of the Tokaido Road (Tokaido Gojusantsugi no Uchi), Utagawa Hiroshige, 1832-1834 - PR.97 by Utagawa Hiroshige — a faithful canvas reproduction of a classic Japanese woodblock print.
• CHOOSE YOUR SIZE & FORMAT: Pick your dimensions and shape right from this listing — vertical, horizontal, panoramic and square options available.
• MUSEUM-QUALITY GICLEE: Fade-resistant archival inks on premium artist-grade canvas, hand-stretched and gallery-wrapped over a solid 1.5" wood frame, hardware attached and ready to hang.
• A REFINED FOCAL POINT for the living room, bedroom, study, home office or entryway — timeless style with lasting appeal.
• HANDCRAFTED IN THE USA: Made to order in multiple sizes and shapes — a thoughtful, gallery-worthy gift.

Description

This woodblock print depicts travelers on the Nawate Road at Hiratsuka, the seventh post station of the Tōkaidō highway, with porters carrying a palanquin and cargo beneath graceful pine trees, a rounded dark hill dominating the midground. Hiratsuka sits in Kanagawa Prefecture on the Shōnan coast of Honshū, and the distant blue silhouette of Mount Fuji is faintly visible on the right horizon — a recurring motif in Hiroshige's celebrated series 'Fifty-Three Stations of the Tōkaidō' (c. 1833). The composition's delicate gradations of teal, green, and soft pink sky exemplify the luminous ōban-format ukiyo-e printing technique for which Hiroshige became internationally renowned.