Hiroshige & Eisen. The Sixty-Nine Stations along the Kisokaido

by Andreas Marks, Rhiannon Paget

The Kisokaidō route through Japan was ordained in the early 1600s by the country’s then-ruler Tokugawa Ieyasu, who decreed that staging posts be installed along the length of the arduous passage between Edo (present-day Tokyo) and Kyoto. Inns, shops, and restaurants were established to provide sustenance and lodging to weary travelers. In 1835, renowned woodblock print artist Keisai Eisen was commissioned to create a series of works to chart the Kisokaidō journey. After producing 24 prints, Eisen was replaced by Utagawa Hiroshige, who completed the series of 70 prints in 1838. Both Eisen and Hiroshige were master print practitioners. In The Sixty-Nine Stations along the Kisokaidō, we find the artists’ distinct styles as much as their shared expertise. From the busy starting post of Nihonbashi to the castle town of Iwamurata, Eisen opts for a more muted palette but excels in figuration, particularly of glamorous women, and relishes snapshots of activity along the route, from shoeing a horse to winnowing rice. Hiroshige demonstrates his mastery of landscape with grandiose and evocative scenes, whether it’s the peaceful banks of the Ota River, the forbidding Wada Pass, or a moonlit ascent between Yawata and Mochizuki. Taken as a whole, The Sixty-Nine Stations collection represents not only a masterpiece of woodblock practice, including bold compositions and an experimental use of color, but also a charming tapestry of 19th-century Japan, long before the specter of industrialization. This TASCHEN XXL edition revives the series with due scale and splendor. Sourced from the only-known set of a near-complete run of the first edition of the series, this legendary publication is reproduced in optimum quality, bound in the Japanese tradition and with uncut paper. A perfect companion piece to TASCHEN’s One Hundred Famous Views of Edo, it is at once a visual delight and a major artifact from the bygone era of Imperial Japan.

234 pages, Hardcover

Published August 15, 2017

Reviews

[AB Freeman · Rating 5 out of 5]

Having recently read through one of Marks’ other works, Hokusai: Thirty-six Views of Mount Fuji, I was excited to come across another of his scholarly examinations of 19th Century Japanese woodblock print masters.

Some of the true gems contained in this volume include:

Nihonbashi by Eisen – a bustling perspective of the Nihonbashi Bridge in 19th Century Edo (Tokyo). The vibrancy of the characters as they go about their daily business is striking, the capture of daily life in a still-growing metropolis an important visualisation of the times.

Itahana by Eisen – a haunting forest winter scene, in which several travelers trod gently amongst the pines. This print exquisitely portrays one of the central challenges to travelers along the Kisokaidō, that of the adversity of winter. A highlight.

Shiojiri by Eisen – a brilliant view of a deeply frozen lake, with travelers slowly crossing the compacted ice. One of the few pieces with Mount Fuji in the background, this print captures the arduous and tenuous nature of travel in varying temporal conditions. An iconic print.

Nojiri by Eisen – an incredible river view, where the river is an unforgettable character. To great effect, Eisen exaggerated the perspective and detail of the water passing below the Ina River Bridge. It is a splendorous work, full of colour, intricate detail, and that tangible feeling of wonder.

Ōi by Hiroshige – winter travelers on horseback. Similar to Itahana, except Hiroshige’s portrayal of a small group bracing against the wind allows the viewer to truly feel the isolation of its characters. Lingers with the viewer.

Wada by Hiroshige – an incredible mountain pass. Yet another winter scene, yet one of a treacherous mountain pass, made all the more dangerous by ice and snowpack. While not one of the incredibly popular prints, this one stuck out to me, even causing me to do background research on what the Wada Pass looks like today! It’s beautiful!

5 stars. Overall, the prints that stuck out to me were equally represented by both artists; however, if we consider the most striking works, Eisen’s prints stand a bit higher than Hiroshige’s. I’m glad I came across this book. Each work contains a beauty and intricacy that draws the viewer in. I am certainly now a much bigger fan of 19th Century Japanese woodblock prints. By viewing this text, you might become one too!

[James Varney · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is the most authoritative book I know on the great Kisokaido series Eisen and Hiroshige did, though it's not clear how 'together' they were on the project. Eisen's contributions (like much of his work) is wonderful, completely under rated and overshadowed by Hiroshige's career. Certainly these Kisokaido prints don't compare to Hiroshige's famous series on the Tokaido, or Edo, or Mt. Fuji, but several of Eisen's contributions to the Kisokaido series are among my favorites. "Shiojiri Pass: View of Lake Suwa," "Fukaya," and "Itabana" are all outstanding, especially the last with its snowy pass. Personally, I prefer Hiroshige's "Wada," with the walkers headed up the steep winter mountains, and "Agematsu" with its waterfall to "Autumn Moon at Seba," which is widely hailed as a Hiroshige masterpiece. Tastes differ.

This book offers a solid history of the Kisokaido, how it came to be a subject for print series like the Tokaido, and then a short bit on each specific print. For any collector, an indispensable volume. I give it 4 stars instead of 5 not for any real shortcomings of the book itself, but rather for the face the Kisokaido as a subject is just a tad less famous than the Tokaido.