Viewing the Sunset over Ryōgoku Bridge from the Onmaya Embankment (Onmayagashi yori Ryōgokubashi sekiyō o miru), from the series Thirty-six Views of Mount Fuji (Fugaku sanjūrokkei)
Katsushika Hokusai Japanese
Not on view
With the view of Ryōgoku Bridge in the distance, Hokusai focuses on a ferry carrying an assortment of merchants, monks, and a bird catcher—identifiable by the tall rod he carries—home after a day's work. The mood is subdued as night gradually overtakes the evening sky and the ferry's passengers nod beneath their broad hats or gaze at the distant bridge. While the foreground is sharply defined in the aizuri blue-line technique, the background view of the bridge, boats, and far shore is executed in lineless silhouetted forms of mute grey and green. Twilight has cast the river view in a dreamy hushed tone.
A note of tension is inserted by the needle-sharp bird catcher's rod shooting in the sky. This vertical element is played off against the squat pyramid of Mount Fuji, etched against the sky in deep indigo blue. Though small, Mount Fuji commands a strong presence in this picture, which is part of a series of "Thirty-six Views of Mount Fuji." Contrasted to this symbol of tradition, however, is the elegant silhouette of Ryōgoku Bridge, impressive testimony of modern Edo engineering know-how.
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