Utagawa Hiroshige
1833-35

A view of ferries on Tamagawa River crossing to the riverside of Kawasaki post station at dusk is depicted. The warm colored skies of sunset and Mt. Fuji are in the background. On the embankment, a horse carries several bales of rice while some travelers are waiting for a boat. On the right of the print, is the fare stand for the ferries as a man pays at the counter.
Hiroshige is thought to have referenced illustrations from Volume IV from Jippensha Ikku’s Zoku Hizakurige (Shank’s Mare on the Tōkaidō Highway, Continued), which was based on Kawamura Bunpō’s collection of illustrations, Bunpō Soga (1800), for his depiction of figures. However, the overall landscape itself is depicted in a manner that incorporates views travelers would have experienced and seen when standing on the opposite embankment viewing the river. Hiroshige’s incorporation of the warm evening skies creates a temporal moment, further evoking a sense of standing before this scene in-person.