Fuchū: The Abe River
1833–34 · Woodblock print; ink and colour on paper · The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York
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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
- 24.1 × 35.6 cm
- Collection
- The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York (impression JP490; many other impressions exist)
- Movement
- Ukiyo-e
- Series
- Fifty-three Stations of the Tōkaidō
Porters stripped for the water wade across the wide, shallow Abe River, carrying a woman in a palanquin on poles, another passenger on a platform and a packhorse's load of bales. Behind them a long dark mountain rises beyond the far bank, and the sky shades from deep blue at the top to pale cream above a band of white mist. The print is number twenty in the Fifty-three Stations of the Tōkaidō, published by Hōeidō (Takenouchi Magohachi) in 1833–34. Fuchū, the nineteenth station, was the provincial capital of Suruga, also known as Sunpu and today the city of Shizuoka, and its river had no bridge, so travellers paid porters to carry them across; impressions vary in colour and condition.
This print reproduces the whole work, uncropped, from a high-resolution scan of the original. The original is in the public domain.
Where it works
Turquoise water, a dark mountain and touches of yellow and indigo, for a study, den or hallway at 24×16 in natural wood. It pairs with Okitsu: The Okitsu River for two scenes of porters carrying travellers across a river.
Style, size & framing detail
- Style
- Ukiyo-e painting
- Era
- 19th century (1833–34)
- Orientation
- Landscape
- Palette
- cornflower blue
- Mood
- calm
- Rooms
- hallway or entryway, study or library, living room, 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. The gallery ground is part of the print, so frame it without a mat — natural wood flatters the lighter palette; black sharpens it.
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 Fuchū: The Abe River in the public domain?
What is it printed on?
When was Fuchū: The Abe 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.





























