Kinryuzan Temple, Asakusa (Asakusa, Kinryuzan), from the series One Hundred Views of Famous Places in Edo (Meisho Edo hyakkei)
1856
In Hiroshige's time, Asakusa Temple was not only a famous religious site but also one of Edo's foremost entertainment districts. Its giant red lantern at the Kaminarimon gate has long welcomed rowdy crowds of pleasure-seeking urbanites. In this print, Hiroshige downplayed the human element and focused instead on the lantern, dramatically cropping it at the top and side and exaggerating its proportions.
--Catherine Roche, Curatorial Associate, 2010
Woodblock print; ink and color on paper
Framed: 14 1/8 x 9 1/4 in. (35.9 x 23.5 cm)
Gift of Mary and Allan Kollar, in honor of the 75th Anniversary of the Seattle Art Museum
2017.23.24
Provenance: [Peter Gilder, Arts and Designs of Japan, San Francisco, California]; purchased from gallery by Allan Kollar, Seattle, Washington; to Seattle Art Museum, Seattle, Washington, 2013
Photo: Susan Cole