Utagawa Hiroshige,Ferry on the Fuji River, Suruga Province from Famous Places in Japan, c. 1832. © The Trustees of the British Museum.
Join exhibition curator Dr Alfred Haft for a special ARTscapades talk introducing this first exhibition on Utagawa Hiroshige (1797-1858) to be held at the British Museum, and the first in London for more than a quarter of a century.
Over a career spanning four decades, the prolific Hiroshige produced thousands of landscape and nature prints, hundreds of paintings commissioned by the samurai elite, as well as dozens of illustrated books. Although from a samurai family himself, Hiroshige crossed social boundaries and devoted himself to depicting popular customs and the world around him. His work appealed to every stratum of society and is distinguished by an air of gentle grace and decorum. Technically skilled as a colourist and draftsman, he stands out for discovering a subtle lyricism in the experience of travel, and a bond between people and the natural world.
Featuring highlights from leading private collections, the British Museum’s own outstanding collection of Japanese art and from other major collections, the exhibition also considers his global legacy, spanning from Japan's Meiji era (1868-1912) to Vincent van Gogh and James A. M. Whistler, and on to contemporary artists such as Julian Opie.
Hiroshige: Artist of the open road is at the British Museum from 1 May to 7 September 2025. Talk ticket holders will receive a coupon for free UK delivery for the exhibition catalogue by Alfred Haft ordered online via the Museum Shop here.
This event will be recorded. Ticket holders are emailed a link to view the recording afterwards which is available for one month. Proceeds from ARTscapades ticket sales benefit museums, galleries and other arts-based organisations and projects.
This is an online event hosted on Zoom which can be watched live with Q&A, or on-demand for one month afterwards. You will receive your link to access the event in your email confirmation and the on-demand link after the event ends.