Cherry Blossoms in Full Bloom in Ueno

(oops forgot where to get the picture of my print)

This print is by Hiroshige, and is entitled Cherry Blossoms in Full Bloom in Ueno. It belongs to a series of prints; Famous Places in Edo, and pictures Cherry Blossoms blooming in Ueno Park. The actual condition of the print is fair; there is mild discoloration, wear, and line and registration problems.

The artist behind this print, Hiroshige, showed artistic skill from a young age, and became a fireman at age 13, and used the large amount of extra time he had to continue to develop his skills as an artist, reported to be influenced by Hokusai. At age 15, he apprenticed under Toyohiro, after being rejected by Toyokuni, whom had too many students to take on another.
Under Toyohiro, Hiroshige was apparently a somewhat rebellious, but good student, and as he progressed, was eventually asked to take on the name of his master, which he declined. At first specializing in pictures of actors and women, Hiroshige later changed to mainly landscape ukiyo-e, and secured fame with his '53 Station of the Tokaido'.
He himself took on few pupils, as Hiroshige believed that art was mainly a self-learning process. He kept producing artwork into his later years, although they generally did not hold as much popularity as his earlier and mid works. Before his death, Hiroshige became a monk, but died not long afterward from Cholera.

The print itself features a Cherry Blossom viewing in Ueno, a clear denotation of a spring activity. It is a familiar setting, one that most likely occurs in Ueno park, still a prominent spot for cherry blossom viewing, with over 1,000 cherry trees.

The composition is unified by the straight line of buildings in the background, allowing the viewers eye to travel horizontally across the image. The cherry blossoms intersect along this line, connecting the eye to the main theme of the image. Along with this, the eye is also allowed to move vertically due to the tall trees and foreground building, which are distributed evenly along the image.
The image is flattened, but still posses perspective. Diagonal lines are used largely in the architecture, and originate from the lower left hand corner of the piece.
The subject of the picture consists of a mixture of human and naturalistic components, with an emphasis on the naturalistic. People present in the picture are small and not heavily defined, although distinction is made between the men and women present in the picture. In contrast, the naturalistic components are varied and appear much larger than the people themselves. The only human element comparable is the building in the foreground. However, both natural and humanistic elements are nicely integrated, as both move into the space of the other. There is also a sense of movement in this print; the indistinct nature of the people gives them a crowd like feel, and it would seem as if they are moving all over the image. The cherry blossoms themselves also must fall, and thus carry a sense of movement as well. The image also sports a juxtaposition of warm and cool colors, which helps to balance the composition.

Cherry blossoms serve as a signifier of many signified values, such as spring, nature, beauty, transience, and change. Together with the large gathering of people, and the fact that the print is presented to us as being in Ueno, one could also discern the signified values of Ueno Park, festivals, cherry blossom parties, and anything else specific to the viewer. Together with the other naturalistic elements combined with the humanistic ones, it also connotes a feeling of integration with nature. The tall trees jagged edges and dark coloring also contrast with the dreamy quality of the cherry blossoms, leading to a more natural than dream-like feeling. The warm colors against the cool ones also signifies spring, as it is during this season when warmer weather begins to break out from the cold weather. Overall, a very calming, naturalistic and spring focused work.