Full moon on Hiroshige prints

[Anatol]

Andō Hiroshige (1797-1858) is widely regarded to be one of the greatest masters of Ukiyo-e, the Japanese woodblock print. In the early 1830s, he was invited to join a delegation of officials from the Imperial Court on a journey to Kyoto, which inspired this series of prints titled, Kyoto Meisho, featuring famous places of Kyoto. This set was either a gift of family friend, Sho Nemoto, to the Billings Family, or perhaps purchased by them during their trip to Japan in 1898.
"Full Moon in Takanawa" is a piece from Hiroshige’s series, “Famous Places in the Eastern Capital.”
Here, Hiroshige designs a print of a familiar sight. "Full Moon in Takanawa" is a view of present-day Tokyo Bay. This particular print is important because it depicts an early morning scene of the trading port. We know it’s early morning, rather than late at night because the sky is a hazy blue rather than a deep midnight color. Previous ukiyo-e prints depict nighttime with rich dark colors. In the bottom right portion of the composition, we see a Japanese marketplace, most likely specializing in fish due to its close proximity to the ocean. You see a number of fisherman sailing on their small boats in the water looking to get their early morning catch.
Hiroshige is, along with Hokusai, the most important landscaper of the grade ukiyo-e. Generally the chosen settings were famous places of the capital Edo (old name for Tokyo), but always embellished with some elements that place the place in a certain station of the year. The full moon and the flight of the geese refer us to autumn, one of the seasons most appreciated by the poets and artists of Japan.
“Full Moon. Passenger Boat on the Yodo River”
A lively river boat scene and wonderful glimpse of everyday life in early 19th century Japan.
Yodo River, central western Honshu, Japan. The Yodo is the sole outlet of Lake Biwa, the country’s largest freshwater lake, from which it issues in a southwesterly direction to Osaka Bay, connecting the Kyōto Basin with the Ōsaka Plain. It was a major means of transportation and communication during the Tokugawa period (1603–1867).
Hiroshige’s print has a few Japanese characters on it. First, we see the artist’s signature. During the time the Tokugawas were in power, there was a strict system in place that determined what art was and wasn’t appropriate for the public. Everything needed a seal of approval before it could be released. This practice ended a few years after this print was approved.”
Yemen 1970;6b;6b. Source: https://theresatobin.com/takanawa-in-moonlight.
https://www.nps.gov/mabi/learn/historyc ... oshige.htm.