Odawara: The Sakawa River

Name/Title

Odawara: The Sakawa River

Entry/Object ID

2013.9.71

Description

Reproduction of the circa 1833-34 woodblock print titled "Odawara: The Sakawa River," from the series "Fifty-three Stations of the Tōkaidō Road (9th station)," by Utagawa Hiroshige.

Artwork Details

Medium

Paper, Ink

Made/Created

Artist Information

Artist

Utagawa Hiroshige

Attribution

After

Notes

Reproduction of the original 19th c. work

Dimensions

Height

10-1/2 in

Width

15-1/2 in

Interpretative Labels

Label

Odawara was the first castle travelers would reach after leaving Edo. A stronghold of this region of Japan, the castle is located in the upper right of the print, in the foothills of the mountains. In the foreground, travelers ford the Sakawa River, which was difficult to cross because of its strong currents. This image illustrates well the strenuous tasks the travelers faced along their journey. Hiroshige made four versions of this scene with varying numbers of figures. This one, with only two figures on the nearby bank, is the earliest.

Label Type

Credit Line

Label

Label written by Lauren McCarthy

Label Type

Credit Line

Label

Gift of the Jesuit Community at Saint Joseph's University