Hakone: View of the Lake (Hakone, Kosui no zu)
Print, Ukiyo-e Woodblock Print on Washi Paper • Utagawa Hiroshige (Japanese, 1797–1858)
Style & Movement
Ukiyo-e (Pictures of the Floating World), Edo Period
Medium & Technique
Polychrome woodblock print (Nishiki-e); Ink and color on paper utilizing 'bokashi' (color gradation) and hand-carved cherry wood blocks.
Creation Period
Original design circa 1833-1834; Current specimen appears to be a high-quality 20th-century Showa-era reproduction (re-strike/re-cut).
Dimensions & Format
Oban format (approximately 25 x 38 cm); Horizontal landscape orientation.
Subject Description
Station 11 from the 'Fifty-three Stations of the Tokaido' (Hoeido edition). The composition features the steep, jagged pass of Hakone with Mount Fuji appearing as a white silhouette in the distance. The foreground shows Lake Ashi (Lake Hakone) and colorful, stylized mountain crags. It represents the most topographical and abstract landscape in the series, capturing the difficulty of the mountain crossing.
Condition & Value Assessment
Condition Assessment
Excellent. The paper appears bright and the colors are vibrant with no visible foxing, fading, or staining.
Estimated Market Value
$100 - $300 (standard for high-quality modern woodblock reproductions)
Auction Estimate
$80 - $200
Provenance History
Likely part of a mid-to-late 20th-century commemorative portfolio or educational collection. No specific dealer stamps visible, but the clean margins suggest it was never framed or exposed to light.
Art Historical Significance
One of Hiroshige's most famous and avant-garde compositions. It broke from traditional landscape conventions through its use of sharp, geometric color blocks on the mountains, influencing later Western Impressionist and Post-Impressionist artists.
Notable Features
Features the Hoeido publisher's seals and series title in the cartouche. The saturation of the blue 'bokashi' in the lake and skies suggests a modern printing using stable pigments rather than the fugitive natural dyes of the 1830s.
Condition Issues
None visible. Slight rippling of the paper consistent with handmade washi, but no physical damage or pigment degradation.
Conservation Recommendations
Keep away from direct sunlight; Ukiyo-e pigments are highly light-sensitive. Use acid-free matting if framing and UV-protective glass.