Hiroshige: First Edition of Inari Bridge and Minato Shrine in Teppozu 鉄砲洲 稲荷橋 湊神社 (SOLD)

Artist: Utagawa Hiroshige 広重 (1797-1858)Title: First Edition of Inari Bridge and Minato Shrine in Teppozu 鉄砲洲 稲荷橋 湊神社Series: One Hundred Famous Views of Edo: Meisho Edo HyakkeiDate: 1857 View from Edo Bay, looking towards the city via the commerce-laden Hatchobori (or Echizen-bori) Canal. Our vantage point seems to be that of a bird, also shown as the tiny shapes flying in the sky in the distance. Dominating the foreground are the massive masts from the large cargo sailboats that are anchored in the Bay; their stays create terrific triangulations against the flowing curve of the river and the natural triangle of Fuji’s peak. To the left is the Minato Inari Shrine, glimpsed behind a red fence, serving as the guardian of the entry to the city from Edo Bay. The shrine survives even today, although the rest of the area would be unrecognizable now. We see many of HIroshige’s groundbreaking artistic hallmarks here, including strong cropping of foreground elements and an unusual viewpoint, co