23 Utagawa Hiroshige 1797 – 1858 The Grave of Uguisu (Uguisu-zuka)

publisher: Ibaya Senzaburo (Dansendo)

This print from the series Chuko adauchi zue (Pictures of Loyalty and Revenge) depicts the poignant scene “The Nightingale’s Grave” (Uguisu-zuka), combining themes of loyalty, love, and tragic destiny. The story, narrated in the open book cartouche above, was written by Ryukatei Tanehiko, one of the most popular authors of moral romances of the Edo period. The composition shows Samurai Sasaki Gennosuke and his wife Koshimoto meeting in a garden with blooming plum blossoms — a symbol of purity and fidelity — while their young daughter Uguisu watches from the house.

Hiroshige masterfully balances light and shadow with refined color harmony, achieving a lyrical, emotional depth characteristic of his late figurative works. The series stands among his later moral and narrative cycles exploring devotion, virtue, and honor.