The artwork titled “37. Kilns and the Hashiba Ferry on the Sumida River,” created by Hiroshige in 1857, belongs to the Ukiyo-e art movement and falls under the landscape genre. It is part of the series “One Hundred Famous Views of Edo.”
The artwork portrays a scene along the Sumida River, highlighting the kilns active along its bank and the ferry that crosses the river. The composition features a large plume of smoke extending into the sky from the kilns, which occupy the lower left corner of the artwork. In the background, a gentle horizon accommodates beautifully arrayed natural elements including serene waters with boats and birds, lush greenery, and distant mountains. The delicate gradation of colors from the water’s blue to the sky’s gradients, and the greens and yellows of the foliage and riverbanks, encapsulate the harmonious beauty and daily life along the Sumida River during Edo period Japan. This meticulous rendering exemplifies the detailed and evocative style characteristic of Hiroshige’s landscapes within the Ukiyo-e genre.
