Hiroshige, << `heer` oh SHEE gay >> (1797-1858) was a master painter and designer of Japanese color prints. Many critics rank him second in importance only to Hokusai among Japanese artists of the 1800’s. His paintings earned him the name of “the artist of the sweeping brush,” because of his ability to suggest vast landscapes in a few lines. Bare paper is as important as color in showing great snowfields, the sea, and the sky in his paintings. Hiroshige’s delicate color harmonies and his peculiar perspective influenced the work of the painter James Whistler.
Hiroshige was born in Edo (now Tokyo). His pupils imitated his work and often used his signature. His most famous set of prints is the Fifty-three Stations of the Tokaido Highway. Hiroshige died on Oct. 12, 1858.
