Hiroshige I och Hiroshige II – två generationer av landskapskonstnärer

I Galleriet i vår permanenta Japan-utställning, Japan - föremål och bilder berättar, visar vi verk från två av de mest kända träsnittskonstnärerna under 1800-talet. Träsnitt är en tryckmetod med ett 1300 år gammalt kinesiskt ursprung. I Edo-periodens Japan användes den framförallt för bilder i vardagen bland tidens motsvarande medelklass.
Hiroshige I föddes år 1797 i Edo, dagens Tokyo, och avled 1858. Han antogs som elev till träsnittsmästaren Utagawa Toyohiro. Under konstnärsnamnet Utagawa (eller Ando) Hiroshige kom han att bli en av de stora mästarna, särskilt uppskattad för sina landskapsbilder.
Hiroshige II var hans främsta elev. Han föddes år 1826 som Chinpei Suzuki och avled 1869. Av de få elever som Utagawa Hiroshige hade tycks Suzuki ha stått honom närmast. Han antog konstnärsnamnet Shigenobu Hiroshige.
Vi visar nu ett urval bland annat från deras kända serier ”Hundra berömda vyer av Edo” och ”Scener av berömda platser längs Tokaido-vägen”.
Medan Hiroshige I fick enorm framgång under en tid då landskapsgenren var relativt ny, hade hans elev en mer haltande karriär. Hiroshige II fick endast ett måttligt publikt mottagande och spenderade sina sista år i Yokohama i fattigdom.
Vissa historiker och samlare har sett eleven, Hiroshige II, som en imitatör av sin mästare, som inte förädlade sin originalitet. Vissa stilmässiga skillnader mellan dem kan dock identifieras. Hiroshige II kännetecknas bland annat av striktare kompositioner och en annan färgpalett. Det blir tydligt att också han hade en egen kreativ röst.
De utställda bilderna ger både en inblick i det urbana japanska samhällets vardagsliv och visar två enastående konstnärskap, där landskapskonst tolkats vidare från en generation till en annan.

Utställningstexterna är skrivna av Daniel Olsson, fil mag i konstvetenskap och praktikant, under handledning av intendent Petra Holmberg.

In the gallery of our permanent exhibition Japan: Artefacts and iameges tell the story, we show works from two of the most well-known woodblock print artists, Hiroshige I and Hiroshige II – two generations of landscape artists

Hiroshige I is one of the most well-known woodblock print artists of the Edo period (1615-1868). He was born in 1797 in Edo, today’s Tokyo. As the son of a fireman he spent a few early years within firefighting, before studying under the woodblock print master Utagawa Toyohiro. Under the artist name Utagawa Hiroshige he became one of the great masters, particularly regarded for his landscape pictures.
Hiroshige II was his foremost pupil. He was born in 1829 as Chinpei Suzuki, like his master to a fireman. Of the few pupils that Utagawa Hiroshige had, Suzuki seems to have stood him closest. He adopted the artist name Shigenobu Hiroshige.
In woodblock printmaking it was common for artists to produce series of pictures within a certain theme. Hiroshige I was among the greatest creators of landscape series. One very popular such was “One hundred famous views of Edo”. Hiroshige II produced series of the same variety, such as “Scenes of famous places along the Tokaido road”. A selection from these series are exhibited here.
Whereas Hiroshige I saw enormous success at a time when the landscape genre was relatively new, his pupil had a more stumbling career. Hiroshige II only got a moderate public reception, and spent his last years in Yokohama in poverty.
Among Japanese artists during this time, masters gave their pupils artist names (go in Japanese) based on their own. In most cases the characteristic syllable from the master’s name was transferred, such as between Toyohiro and Hiroshige I. But in some cases, the whole name was transferred.

There have been uncertainties regarding the distinction between Hiroshige I and II. Early researchers doubted the very existence of a second Hiroshige. Some historians and collectors have seen the pupil as an imitator of his master, who didn’t refine his originality. However, certain stylistic differences between them can be identified. Hiroshige II is characterized by stricter compositions and a different colour palette for instance. He, too, clearly had a creative voice of his own.
The exhibited pictures give both an insight into the everyday life of urban Japanese society and showcase two outstanding artistries, where landscape art has been interpreted from one generation to another.

The exhibition texts are written by intern Daniel Olsson, MFA in art history, under supervision by curator Petra Holmberg.