Old View of the Eight-plank Bridge in Mikawa Province (Mikawa no Yatsuhashi no kozu)
Artist
Katsushika Hokusai 葛飾 北斎
(Japanese, 1760–1849)
Dateabout 1833-34
Mediumwoodblock print; ink and color on paper
DimensionsHorizontal ōban: 25.1 x 36.8 cm (9 7/8 x 14 1/2 in.)
ClassificationsPrints
Credit LineJohn Chandler Bancroft Collection
Terms
Object number1901.755
Label TextThis print depicts an ancient bridge in Mikawa Province known as Yatsuhashi, first mentioned in the collection of medieval Japanese poems called the Tales of Ise. Although the bridge was destroyed long before Hokusai’s lifetime, romantic descriptions of the location survived in literature and theater, ensuring it remained a popular source of inspiration for artists throughout the Edo period (1603–1868). It can be identified by the eight overlapping planks suspended over a watery expanse brimming with flag irises, both features commonly present in depictions of the site. Since Hokusai had never seen the bridge, he took creative license with this composition, adding details such as the rise and fall of the planks and the figures’ contemporary dress.
On View
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Katsushika Hokusai 葛飾 北斎
about 1833–1834
Katsushika Hokusai 葛飾 北斎
about 1833–34
Katsushika Hokusai 葛飾 北斎
about 1833
Katsushika Hokusai 葛飾 北斎
about 1833
Katsushika Hokusai 葛飾 北斎
about 1833
Katsushika Hokusai 葛飾 北斎
about 1833–1834