Alighting geese at Massaki 1825

"Alighting Geese at Massaki" is a woodblock print made by Utagawa Hiroshige sometime before 1858. This image captures a serene landscape featuring a torii gate, boats, and stylized geese. It comes from a time when Japan was opening up to the West, influencing its artistic production. Woodblock prints like these were accessible to a broad audience, reflecting and shaping popular culture. There is a deep sense of place, a reverence for the natural world that’s characteristic of Japanese art, but there is also a hint of the social hierarchies embedded in the landscape. While seemingly idyllic, this image invites us to consider the relationship between the human and natural worlds. It's a snapshot of a specific locale but also a window into the collective imagination of a society navigating rapid change.