Fifty-Three Stations of the Tôkaidô Highway;Chiryu,A Horse Fair in April

This work is a part of “Fifty-Three Stations of the Tōkaidō Highway,” the representative work of Utagawa Hiroshige, an ukiyo-e artist who was active in the 19th century. It depicts a scene from a horse fair. In the meadow in the front, the horses being bought and sold are strung together, and under the pine in the back, horse traders are bidding. The lush meadows, which combine yellow-green and indigo, are truly beautiful, evoking a refreshing summer breeze. The hill seen far in the background which resembles a whale in shape was deleted from subsequent prints. The work owned by this museum is a rare first print, and it is known as one of the world’s outstanding masterpieces, both for the printing and the state of preservation.