SADO Province Utagawa Hiroshige Japanese Woodblock Framed Art Print 18×15. PROVINCE DE SADO ENOSHIMA, LES MINES D’OR (ENTRANCE TO THE CAVE AT ENOSHIMA) It is a very beautiful re-print of the original. This is one in a series of 69 prints. As of this listing, I have 35 of them, all professionally framed in a brushed silver toned frame and matted in black They all came from the same Estate in Louisville, KY. All are in excellent condition and any one or all of them would add greatly to your Asian art collection. The last 5 pictures are from one of these that had a damaged back. I deconstructed it so you could see all the layers and materials involved. The artwork is a woodblock print titled “Sado Province, the Goldmines” by Hiroshige, part of the series “Famous Views of the Sixty-odd Provinces” (Rokujuyoshu Meisho Zue). Created between 1853 and 1856. Depicts the Sado gold mine in Sado Province, Japan. Features a vertical format, unusual for landscapes, allowing for perspective play. Part of a series of 70 prints, showcasing famous views from each of Japan’s provinces. Published by Koshimuraya Heisuke. Known for its use of bokashi (gradation printing). May have been inspired by travel guides or Hokusai’s sketches. Born in Edo as Tokutaro Ando, Hiroshige Utagawa grew up in a minor samurai family. His father belonged to the firefighting force assigned to Edo Castle. It is here that Hiroshige was given his first exposure to art: legend has it that a fellow fireman tutored him in the Kano school of painting, though Hiroshige’s first official teacher was Rinsai. Though Hiroshige tried to join Toyokuni Utagawa’s studio, he was turned away. In 1811, young Hiroshige entered an apprenticeship with the celebrated Toyohiro Utagawa. After only a year, he was bestowed with the artist name Hiroshige. He soon gave up his role in the fire department to focus entirely on painting and print design. During this time he studied painting, intrigued by the Shijo school. Hiroshige’s artistic genius went largely unnoticed until 1832. With the Tokugawa Shogunate relaxing centuries of age-old restrictions on travel, urban populations embraced travel art and Hiroshige Utagawa became one of the most prominent and successful ukiyo-e artists. He also produced kacho-e (bird-and-flower pictures) to enormous success. In 1858, at the age of 61, he passed away as a result of the Edo cholera epidemic. Hiroshige Utagawa’s woodblock prints continue to convey the beauty of Japan and provide insight into the everyday life of its citizens during the Edo period. The appeal of his tender, lyrical landscapes was not restricted to the Japanese audience. Hiroshige’s work had a profound influence on the Impressionists and Post-Impressionists of Europe: Toulouse-Lautrec was fascinated with Hiroshige’s daring diagonal compositions and inventive use of perspective, while Van Gogh literally copied two of Hiroshige’s prints from the famous series, 100 Famous Views of Edo in oil paint. Hiroshige (1797 – 1858). Mimasaka Province, Yamabushi Valley. Series: Famous Places in the 60-odd Provinces. Size (H x W): 14.5 x 10.75 (inches). Publisher: Koshimuraya Heisuke (Koshihei). Seals: Date and Aratame. Condition: Very good color and impression, light soiling and wear, embellished with mica.