Gezicht op de draaikolken te Naruta in de provincie Awa 1857

This is Utagawa Hiroshige’s woodblock print titled ‘Whirlpools at Naruto, Awa Province’, created in the 19th century. The triptych depicts a panoramic view of swirling currents and distant landscapes, evoking a sense of dynamic energy. Each panel offers a segment of the turbulent sea, rendered with meticulous lines that capture the motion and texture of the water. Notice how the composition uses receding diagonals to pull the viewer’s eye from the foreground toward the misty mountains. Within this composition, the artist employs a semiotic system of signs where natural forms embody cultural meanings. The whirlpools, for instance, could be interpreted as symbols of the unpredictable forces of nature but also of the transient nature of life itself. The formal arrangement of the work challenges fixed perspectives, inviting us to contemplate our place within a constantly shifting world. The use of perspective and the dynamic interplay of line and form serve not only as aesthetic elements but also as a reflection on broader philosophical ideas. The artwork reminds us that meanings are always provisional, and that our understanding of the world is contingent on our perspective.