THE
MANY STAGES OF HIROSHIGE
Japanese master printwork
June
5, 1999 through August 29, 1999
The
Reading Public Museum will present from
its permanent collection, work of 19th Century
Japanese painter and printmaker Ando Hiroshige.
The Many Stages of Hiroshige opening June
5, 1999- presents one of the artist's most
famous series of landscape scenes. These
celebrated works are views on the Tokaido,
the road running along the eastern coast
of Japan between the two captials Yedo (now
Tokyo) and Kyoto. The Many Stages of Hiroshige
will run thru August 29, 1999.
The
Many Stages of Hiroshige consists of a rare
series of prints called the Tokaido Go-ju-san-Tsugi
or "Fifty-three Stations of the Eastern
Road" and views of the two capitals,
Yedo and Kyoto. First issued in 1833, the
prints tell the story of early 19th Century
life on a well-traveled road in Japan -
an Asian "route 66". Educational
on many levels, including climate and landscape,
the diversity of class systems are distinguished
by travel arrangements. The daimyo and people
of the upper class travel in norimono, spacious
hand carried "taxis". Humble individuals
are carried in a cramped kago (similar to
the rickshaw.)
Plate
46, Shono Rain-storm in the Mountains, depicts
two coolies (or kago carriers) going up
a hill -with a straw coat thrown over the
kago- and two others, one with an umbrella
rushing down. Because of its powerful compositional
and tonal effects Shono is considered the
masterpiece of the whole Tokaido series.
The Reading Public Museum is proud to have
such an important part of Japanese histor
in its permanent collection.
Admission
to The Many Stages of Hiroshige is included
with the Reading Public Museum admission
price of $4 for adults and $2 for children
4-17 years.
Robert
P. Metzger, Ph.D.
Director, CEO, Chief Curator Reading Public
Museum
EXHIBIT
SPONSORS:
This exhibition is supported in part by
a grant from the
Commonwealth of Pennsylvania Council on
the Arts and the Pennsylvania
Historical and Museum Commision. |
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