83 Utagawa Hiroshige II 1826 – 1869 Snow at the Bridge (View from the series Tōto Meisho Zue)

1930s (after an original 19th-century design)

This highly atmospheric and decorative winter scene is a high-quality, scaled-down period reprint from the 1930s. It is based on a design by Utagawa Hiroshige II, the pupil and successor of the famous landscape master. The scene depicts a heavy snowfall over a river in Edo. The composition is dominated by a bare weeping willow in the foreground, framing a view of partially snow-covered bridges and small boats navigating the cold waters. This type of reduced-size, hand-printed reproduction of famous landscape motifs was immensely popular in the 1920s and 30s as an export item for Western collectors. Furthermore, this print boasts an exceptional provenance, originating from the famous interwar collection of the Czech painter and promoter of Asian art, Prof. Vojtěch Chytil.