Utagawa Kunisada Japanese Woodblock Print Triptych, 'Cooling Off Under Ryogoku Bridge'

Story

Edo-period citizens flocked to the Sumida River every summer to escape the stifling city heat. This triptych captures the fashionable elite renting roofed pleasure boats, known as yakatabune, to socialize and watch fireworks. The artist masterfully uses the massive bridge supports to frame a candid, intimate slice of urban life.

Maker / Origin

Utagawa Kunisada (later known as Toyokuni III) was the most popular, prolific, and financially successful designer of ukiyo-e woodblock prints in 19th-century Japan. Renowned for his depictions of beautiful women (bijin-ga) and Kabuki actors, his work defined the visual identity of the late Edo period's floating world.

Condition & Value

The prints show typical signs of age, including minor paper toning, light creasing, and some fading of the organic color pigments, particularly the blues and yellows. The panels are currently separated, which is common, and show some wear along the historical joining edges, but they lack major tears or invasive backing repairs.