Utagawa Hiroshige
1851 (Kaei 4), No publisher’s seal

This work is one of the pictures inserted in a orihon or a folded book, ”Picture Book of Famous Places of Toukaidou” (Pictures by Hiroshige, published in 1841, 23 pictures in total). The gate of Yugyouji Temple in a beautiful snowy landscape, the approach steps to the temple, which are steeper than the present day, and the solemn Niou, or two guardians’ gate at the end of the approach are illustrated with Hiroshige’s exquisite composition. This gate also appears in the picture map of Yugyouji Temple, but burnt down by the big fire of the Fujisawa Post Station in 1880 (Meiji 13).

Utagawa Hiroshige
Kansei 9~Ansei 5 (1799~1858)
Hiroshige was a pupil of Utagawa Toyohiro. He also studied varieties of painting styles from Kano school, nan-ga (southern Chinese painting style), and Shijō school. He was active as an ukiyo-e artist from Bunsei 1 to his death (1818~1858). He first produced pictures of beautiful women, Kabuki actors and worriers, but from the Tempō era he was acknowledged as a leading landscape artist. He published many pictures of famous places such as the series “Fifty-three Stations of the Tokaido”. Hiroshige’s the other fortes were kachoga (picture of birds and flowers) and animal pictures.