17 Utagawa Hiroshige 1797 – 1858 Clearing Weather after Snowfall at Massaki

Japan, c. 1832–1839 (Tenpō Era), 
from the series Famous Places of the Eastern Capital (Tōto meisho)

This highly poetic winter scene is the work of the landscape master Utagawa Hiroshige. The print originates from his acclaimed early series "Famous Places of the Eastern Capital" (Tōto meisho). The design elegantly captures the Massaki area immediately following a heavy snowfall, just as the weather begins to clear. In the foreground, boatmen navigate the cold waters of the Sumida River; one poles a roofed boat, while another wearing a straw raincoat balances skillfully on a floating timber raft. Nestled on the snow-covered opposite bank, the Massaki Inari shrine is visible through the trees, marked by its characteristic torii gate. Hiroshige masterfully balances the color palette, offsetting the cold whites of the snow and blues of the water with a warm pinkish gradation (bokashi) along the horizon. The right margin bears the artist's signature and the seal of the prominent publisher Sanoya Kihei (also known as Kikakudō). The woodblock print dates to the Tenpō Era, circa 1832–1839