Artwork preview

Panorama of the Eight Views of Kanasawa under a Full Moon

Utagawa Hiroshige

The Metropolitan Museum of Art

The image depicts a serene Japanese landscape with a large body of water, likely a bay or sea, under a full moon. The water is light blue and dotted with numerous boats and ships. In the foreground, there are several small islands and a shoreline with trees and bushes. The shoreline curves inward, forming a small cove. A stream or river flows into the larger body of water from the bottom center of the image. The background features a range of mountains or hills along the horizon. The sky transitions from deep blue at the top to a lighter shade towards the horizon, with a large white full moon visible. The artwork is presented in a traditional Japanese style, with bold lines and muted colors. The image is divided into sections, suggesting it may be a triptych. A red vertical banner with Japanese characters is on the right side, and another red rectangle with characters is on the left.

Artwork Details

Date
1857
Medium
Triptych of woodblock prints; ink and color on paper
Culture
Japan
Dimensions
599 × 299 px
Public Domain
Yes
Museum Record
View original
Palette