Details

Ando Hiroshige produced some of the most iconic designs in Japanese prints. Among his most desirable works is this print Fireworks at Ryōgoku Bridge. The design depicts evening festivities off the Sumida River in the evening cool of late summer and early fall. This impression features a stunning woodgrain pattern in the sky that creates a wonderful atmospheric effect for which Hiroshige is very well known. The fine bokashi (color gradation) at the bottom accentuates the lower composition, suggesting reflected light from the fireworks and highlighting the pleasure boats floating the evening away.

Connoisseur's Note

This print is a rarely seen early second-state, with colors in an amazing state of preservation and a beautifully printed woodgrain in the sky (only visible on the earliest impressions). The bokashi at the lower portion of the design is also only present in early impressions. This offer is a rare opportunity to own a Hiroshige masterpiece in an impression and condition suitable for a discerning collector or institution.