Utagawa Hiroshige (1797-1858) | Evening Glow at Koganei Bridge (Koganei-bashi no sekisho) | Edo period, 19th century

From the first edition with the Taihaido kaihan seal and three accompanying poems. Cherry trees flanking the small riverbanks are in full bloom by the Koganei Bridge, their pink blossoms accentuated by the evening light. Three men sit together on a bench overlooking the river to admire the beauty of the flowers, while another man stops to look up at Mount Fuji towering in the distance.

Initially commissioned by the comic-verse (kyoka) poet, Taihaido Donsho, this rare series Eight Views in the Environs of Edo (Edo kinko hakkei no uchi) originally included his poems and was accompanied with the seal Taihaido kaihan [inaugurated by Taihaido], as in the impression here of Evening Glow at Koganei Bridge (Koganei bashi no sekisho). Later printings, also rare, were reissued by the publisher Sanoya Kihei with some of the poems omitted or substituted with other newly composed poetry.