Utagawa Kuniyoshi 歌川国芳

Printed entirely in shades of blue with just a little red embellishment, Kuniyoshi here depicts a woman standing on a hill overlooking a bay of fishing boats. This work reflects a growing fascination with Berlin blue, also known as Prussian blue, a pigment used extensively in printing circles in the 1830s. Unlike vegetal dyes that faded easily, this imported synthetic pigment was more stable and vivid. These blue-hued prints, known as aizuri-e, achieve a painterly effect in their tonality. Their blue and white aesthetic echoed blue-and-white  porcelains and indigo textiles that were popular at the time.