Remarkable Views of Bridges in Various Provinces (Shokoku meikyō kiran)
Tenman Bridge in Settsu Province
Sesshū Tenmanbashi
Katsushika Hokusai · c. 1830 (date of the series; the Met record gives only the artist’s dates)
What it is
The long Tenman Bridge in Settsu arches over a river crowded with festival boats, banners and lanterns.
Why it matters
Hokusai catches the bridge at festival time, with the river itself as the stage.
What to notice
The boats below are crowded with figures and decorations, and the bridge rises above them in a gentle curve.
A city’s great day happens on the water, under the bridge.
The record
- Artist
- Katsushika Hokusai 葛飾北斎 (1760–1849)
- Series
- Remarkable Views of Bridges in Various Provinces (Shokoku meikyō kiran)
- Date
- c. 1830 (date of the series; the Met record gives only the artist’s dates)
- Medium
- woodblock print; ink and color on paper
- Source
- The Metropolitan Museum of Art · JP2949
Impression note. A horizontal ōban, about 26 by 38 cm on the Met record. The bridges are drawn in fine, exact lines against broad fields of colour, and a clean impression keeps every plank and rail distinct. This is the largest clean open impression of the design the Met holds. 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
Remarkable Views of Bridges in Various Provinces (Shokoku meikyō kiran)Ancient View of Yatsuhashi in Mikawa ProvinceKatsushika Hokusai · c. 1834
Remarkable Views of Bridges in Various Provinces (Shokoku meikyō kiran)Fukui Bridge in Echizen ProvinceKatsushika Hokusai · c. 1830
Remarkable Views of Bridges in Various Provinces (Shokoku meikyō kiran)Kintai Bridge in Suō ProvinceKatsushika Hokusai · 1827–30
Remarkable Views of Bridges in Various Provinces (Shokoku meikyō kiran)Old View of the Boat-bridge at Sano in Kōzuke ProvinceKatsushika Hokusai · c. 1830The road at your moment — Painted Earth’s ukiyo-e style pack.