The artwork, titled “101. Asakusa Ricefields and Torinomachi Festival,” was meticulously crafted by Hiroshige in 1857. This piece, rendered through the medium of woodblock print, is a quintessential representation of the Ukiyo-e art movement. It is categorized under the genres of landscape and animal painting and forms part of the celebrated series “One Hundred Famous Views of Edo.”
The artwork presents a serene view from the interior of a room, looking out through a large, wooden lattice window. Framed by the wooden beams, the distant landscape features expansive ricefields and the silhouette of Mount Fuji delicately outlined against a gradation of sky colors, suggestive of either dawn or dusk. In the foreground, a white cat perches on the window sill, gazing outside, adding a tranquil and contemplative element to the scene. On the windowsill, draped over it, is a piece of fabric, possibly a kimono, enhancing the domestic ambiance. The overall composition is a compelling blend of interior and exterior worlds, human craftsmanship, and natural beauty, encapsulated in the harmonious aesthetic distinctive of Hiroshige’s work.
