Title : Opening of the Ryögoku River

Artist : Utagawa Hiroshige

Date : c. 1800s

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Source : Honolulu Museum of Art
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Description : In this print Hiroshige again depicts the seasonal event of the “opening” of the Ryögoku River, which begins with a fireworks festival. The focus of the print is a courtesan wearing a beautiful kimono on a pleasure boat, one of the many sights people flocked to the river to see. The Ryögoku Bridge appears in the background, with a crowd of people gathered to watch the fireworks. Ukiyo-e artists often were engaged to design prints that would be made into fans, an essential summer accoutrement. Since fans were constructed for short-term use, not many woodblock-printed fans survive. However, not all images designed for fans ultimately were used for that purpose, and this print was perhaps enjoyed as a wall hanging in a shop or private residence, or kept unmounted as part of a collection. “Midsummer Night’s Pleasure” 08/05/2010-10/10/20100 *************************

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