1831 (ca.), Utagawa Hiroshige, Morning Cherry Bossoms in the New Yoshiwara -- British Museum (London)
From the museum label:
Hiroshige depicts his home city Edo in his first major landscape series, Famous Places in the Eastern Capital. These prints show New Yoshiwara, Edo's only licensed brothel district, famous for the cherry trees that lined its main street in springtime. A patron parts with a courtesan at dawn.
Some designs were reissued with colour variations to appeal to different tastes. The predominance of blue in the top example suggests to Japanese print specialists that this is the earlier version.
1831 (ca.), Utagawa Hiroshige, Morning Cherry Bossoms in the New Yoshiwara -- British Museum (London)
From the museum label:
Hiroshige depicts his home city Edo in his first major landscape series, Famous Places in the Eastern Capital. These prints show New Yoshiwara, Edo's only licensed brothel district, famous for the cherry trees that lined its main street in springtime. A patron parts with a courtesan at dawn.
Some designs were reissued with colour variations to appeal to different tastes. The predominance of blue in the top example suggests to Japanese print specialists that this is the earlier version.