Arai: Ferryboats
1833–34 · Woodblock print; ink and colour on paper · The Art Institute of Chicago
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About this work
- Artist
- Utagawa Hiroshige (1797–1858)
- Year
- 1833–34
- Medium
- Woodblock print; ink and colour on paper
- Original size
- 24 × 36.1 cm
- Collection
- The Art Institute of Chicago (impression 1925.3535; many other impressions exist)
- Movement
- Ukiyo-e
- Series
- Fifty-three Stations of the Tōkaidō
A large official boat hung with curtains bearing a lord's crest crosses the deep blue water, its plumed spears and streamers rising above the deck, while in front a smaller boat carries his servants, who stretch and lounge among their bags. Across the water lie the trees and buildings of the far shore, with pale mountains behind. The print is number thirty-two in the Fifty-three Stations of the Tōkaidō, published by Hōeidō (Takenouchi Magohachi) in 1833–34. Travellers crossed the mouth of Lake Hamana by boat from Maisaka to Arai, the thirty-first station, where a government checkpoint inspected everyone who passed; 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
Deep blue water, cream sails and touches of pink and red, for a living room, bathroom or study at 24×16 in natural wood. It pairs with Maisaka: Imagiri Point, which looks across the same lake.
Style, size & framing detail
- Style
- Ukiyo-e painting
- Era
- 19th century (1833–34)
- Orientation
- Landscape
- Palette
- cornflower blue
- Mood
- dramatic, moody
- Rooms
- living room, bathroom, study or library, dining room
- Good gift for
- housewarming, travelers, 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 Arai: Ferryboats in the public domain?
What is it printed on?
When was Arai: Ferryboats 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.
