Dawn Inside the Yoshiwara
1857 · Woodblock print; ink and color on paper · Rijksmuseum, Amsterdam
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This print
About this work
- Artist
- Utagawa Hiroshige (1797–1858)
- Year
- 1857
- Medium
- Woodblock print; ink and color on paper
- Original size
- 35.6 × 23.4 cm
- Collection
- Rijksmuseum, Amsterdam (impression AK-MAK-1617; many other impressions exist)
- Movement
- Ukiyo-e
- Series
- One Hundred Famous Views of Edo
In the first grey light of morning, the main avenue of the Yoshiwara stretches away between rows of two-storey teahouses, with cherry trees in blossom planted down its centre behind a low fence. A few figures make their way along the street toward the gate post at the left, guests leaving after the night. The print is number thirty-eight in One Hundred Famous Views of Edo, published by Uoya Eikichi, with a censor's seal of the fourth month of 1857. The Yoshiwara was Edo's licensed pleasure quarter, and its cherry trees were planted along the main street each spring as a seasonal display. This impression is printed in soft greys and blues under a deep blue bokashi sky, which suits the hushed hour; 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
Muted greys and soft blue with pale blossom, for a living room, study or hallway at 16×24 in black. It pairs with Night View of Saruwaka-machi for two quiet city streets at the edges of the day.
Style, size & framing detail
- Style
- Ukiyo-e painting
- Era
- 19th century (1857)
- Orientation
- Portrait
- Palette
- cornflower blue, butter yellow
- Mood
- classic
- Rooms
- living room, hallway or entryway, study or library, dining room
- Good gift for
- housewarming, travelers, art lovers
Size. We'd hang this one at 16×24. Prints at 12×18, 16×24, 24×36 in — 12×18 for a shelf, desk or a gallery-wall grid; 16×24 above a desk, console or in a hallway; 24×36 as the statement piece above a sofa or bed.
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 Dawn Inside the Yoshiwara in the public domain?
What is it printed on?
When was Dawn Inside the Yoshiwara 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.
