Meisho

Meisho, or famous places, derive their significance from Japanese literary and religious associations described in the form of highly conventionalized poetic attributes. Sites of this type, originally located in the vicinity of the ancient capitals of Kyoto and Nara, were painted as early as the Heian period (794-1185). By the Edo period (1600-1868), however, the term meisho in popular culture had come to refer to sites that could be visited for relaxation and pleasure. In teh early nineteenth century, landscapes and cityscapes that depicted such places became an important part of the woodblock printing (ukiyo-e) tradition. Although Hokusai (1760-1849) was one of the first great practitioners of this art, it is Hiroshige's (1797-1858) extensive and innovative creations that characterize the genre. This exhibition of Hiroshige's evocative and mood-filled views is composed of selections from several of his well-known city and landscape series, as well as the complete set of Eight Views of Lake Biwa.