Kuragano: The Karasu River
c. 1835–36 · Woodblock print; ink and colour on paper · National Diet Library, Tokyo
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About this work
- Artist
- Keisai Eisen (1790–1848)
- Year
- c. 1835–36
- Medium
- Woodblock print; ink and colour on paper
- Original size
- approx. 23 × 35 cm (horizontal ōban)
- Collection
- National Diet Library, Tokyo (impression pid 1306294, call no. 寄別2-2-1-5; many other impressions exist)
- Movement
- Ukiyo-e
- Series
- Sixty-nine Stations of the Kisokaidō
Children play in a shallow stream, one balancing on the beam of a small sluice gate and two wading naked with a fishing basket. At the right a woman in blue kneels on a plank landing to rinse a tub, and another in a patterned kimono leans on a fence beneath a reed awning. Beyond, boatmen pole along the Karasu River below green hills. This is print thirteen of The Sixty-nine Stations of the Kisokaidō, published by Hōeidō (Takenouchi Magohachi), c. 1835–36. Keisai Eisen, who designed it, began the series and Utagawa Hiroshige completed it. Kuragano was the twelfth station on the Nakasendō, the inland road from Edo to Kyoto; impressions vary in colour and condition.
This full-bleed edition prints the work edge to edge from a high-resolution scan of the original, very slightly cropped (a few percent at most) to fit the sheet. The gallery edition shows the whole work, uncropped. The original is in the public domain.
Where it works
Pale river blue, soft green hills and a straw-gold awning, for a living room, study or hallway at 24×16 in natural wood. It pairs with Takasaki: By the Karasu River, the next station on the same river.
Style, size & framing detail
- Style
- Ukiyo-e painting
- Era
- 19th century (c. 1835–36)
- Orientation
- Landscape
- Mood
- classic
- Rooms
- living room, hallway or entryway, study or library, dining room
- Good gift for
- housewarming, art lovers
Size. We'd hang this one at 24×16. Prints at 18×12, 24×16 in — 18×12 for a shelf, desk or a gallery-wall grid; 24×16 above a console or sideboard.
Framing. Printed edge to edge: a slim black or natural wood frame right to the image, or let the canvas wrap do the framing. Also available gallery-wrapped on canvas, ready to hang with no frame.
Pairing. Pairs as a set of three with other famous painting prints (10% off three or more).
Details & materials
Shipping & returns
Is this the whole painting, or a crop?
Is Kuragano: The Karasu River in the public domain?
What is it printed on?
When was Kuragano: The Karasu River painted, and in what medium?
What size works above a sofa or bed?
About this design
The Madten promise
An exhibition poster
The same artwork as a gallery exhibition poster — title, artist & date typeset beneath the image on a soft ground.
A fine-art print
The same artwork as a clean fine-art print — the image shown large with a minimal caption.
