Fifty-three Stations of the Tōkaidō (Hōeidō edition)
Numazu: Twilight
沼津 黄昏図 · Numazu, tasogare zu
Utagawa Hiroshige · c. 1833–34
What it is
Dusk on the river road into Numazu: a woman and a traveler walk the bend under a full moon, and behind them a pilgrim carries a giant red tengu mask strapped to his back — an offering bound for the Kompira shrine.
Why it matters
A rare nocturne in the series, and its strangest company: the long-nosed goblin mask looming over the pilgrim’s shoulder turns an ordinary evening walk into something half dream.
What to notice
The tengu’s scowling red face rides higher than any human head in the print; the moon is bare paper, the river a deepening wipe of indigo.
Even at dusk, the road keeps strange company.
The record
- Artist
- Utagawa Hiroshige 歌川広重 (1797–1858)
- Series
- Fifty-three Stations of the Tōkaidō (Hōeidō edition)
- Date
- c. 1833–34
- Publisher
- Hōeidō (Takenouchi Magohachi)
- Medium
- woodblock print; ink and color on paper
- Source
- The Metropolitan Museum of Art · JP2875
- bokashi
Impression note. A nocturne built on graded indigo: the depth of the twilight bokashi in the sky and river varies with every wiping, and fine impressions keep the full moon a clean reserve of untouched paper. Impression variance is real — printings differ in wiping and fading — and choosing the finest openly held impression is the curatorial act.
Public domain; faithfully reproduced.
Bring it home
Printed to order on EMA matte art paper, 200gsm.
From the same series
Fifty-three Stations of the Tōkaidō (Hōeidō edition)Nihonbashi: Morning SceneUtagawa Hiroshige · c. 1833–34
Fifty-three Stations of the Tōkaidō (Hōeidō edition)Shinagawa: SunriseUtagawa Hiroshige · c. 1833–34
Fifty-three Stations of the Tōkaidō (Hōeidō edition)Hakone: The LakeUtagawa Hiroshige · c. 1833–34
Fifty-three Stations of the Tōkaidō (Hōeidō edition)Mishima: Morning MistUtagawa Hiroshige · c. 1833–34The road at your moment — Painted Earth’s ukiyo-e style pack.