Village by the Tama River Possibly 1858

Utagawa Hiroshige created this woodblock print titled 'Village by the Tama River' in Japan. It shows people working in a river with Mount Fuji in the background. The composition of this image is a product of the Edo period, when Japan was ruled by the Tokugawa Shogunate. Travel was heavily restricted and images of landscapes became a popular form of cultural consumption. It is part of a series called 'Famous Views of Edo', the capital city now known as Tokyo. The series reflects the growing interest in the everyday life of ordinary people. This print, now in the collection of the Minneapolis Institute of Art, reflects a shift in artistic patronage from the elite classes toward a broader urban audience. To fully understand the social context of this image, we can look to popular literature and other forms of visual culture in 19th century Japan. Art historical interpretation relies on interdisciplinary research.