Ferry at Rokugō 1841 - 1842

This woodblock print, *Ferry at Rokugō*, was created by Utagawa Hiroshige. Note how Hiroshige uses a striking contrast between the dominant blues of the water and sky, against the ochre colour of the figures' hats. This creates a sense of depth and perspective, drawing us into the scene. The formal structure here uses repetition, most strikingly with the conical hats. This is not merely representational, but structural. The repeated shape introduces a rhythmic quality, almost musical, within the composition. The use of perspective is also intriguing. Hiroshige flattens the pictorial space. Yet, this simplification encourages us to consider the relationship between the two-dimensional surface of the print and the three-dimensional world it represents. This woodblock print offers an engagement with the very nature of representation itself. It destabilizes our conventional expectations, inviting a deeper contemplation on form, structure, and perception.