Hiroshige & Japanese Art

This summer at the British Museum, the exhibition Hiroshige: artist of the open road focuses on the great Japanese printmaker Utagawa Hiroshige (1797–1858): ‘From fashionable figures and energetic city views to remote landscapes and impressions of the natural world, Hiroshige captured many aspects of life in the Japan of his time.’ To complement the exhibition, the LitSalon offers an online study of Japanese Art. We will look at the masters of Japanese prints, Hiroshige and Hokusai, as well as a short overview of Japanese Art. From the Heian period to the Edo, beauty infused nearly every aspect of cultural life: Zen temples and gardens, ceramics, tea ceremonies, haiku poetry, calligraphy, woodblock prints, and dress (kimonos and netsuke).

If you love European art and are curious about Asian art, this study is for you! Find out for yourself why artists such as Van Gogh, Whistler and Monet were so inspired by the arts of Japan.

JOINING DETAILS:

• Five meeting study of Japanese art including the print-makers Hiroshige and Hokusai, led by Sean Forester on Zoom.
• Tuesdays 6.00-8.00 pm (UK)
• 29 July & 5, 12, 19, 26 August 2025
• £150 for five two-hour meetings
• Recommended books:  Hiroshige by Adele Schlombs, ISBN-13: ‎ 978-3836519632; How to Look at Japanese Art by Stephen Addiss, ISBN-13: ‎ 978-1626542822.
• We also hope to arrange an informal visit to the exhibition at the British Museum in early September, shortly before it ends. Please email us using the subject line ‘Hiroshige visit’ if you are interested in joining the group visit.
• Use this link to share details of the study.