‘Fireworks at Ryōgoku’, a woodblock print by Utagawa Hiroshige

‘Fireworks at Ryōgoku’, a woodblock print created by Utagawa Hiroshige in the 8th month of 1858. Hiroshige splits the image using a horizon line in the middle of the vertical composition. A landscape displaying, boats towards the bottom half of the image, the Ryogoku bridge cutting through the bottom third of the image, and the continuous river against the land that divides the ground with the sky. Against the dark night sky is the largest composition of the image, the fireworks. People gather in boats around the bridge to watch the display and partake in a celebration or festival. One firework stream cut through the dark night sky, and the upper half of the composition. While the explosion of fireworks is orderly dispersed in the top right.

Hiroshige using the land and perspective to show importance of each aspect of the print. Taking a perspective that is farther from the celebration, the view is not of a person who is partaking in the event. The boats are small in composition and show little significance to the piece. Rather than the celebration be the importance, the fireworks take the show. Hiroshige uses the dominating night sky to focus on the beauty and importance of fireworks during the celebration.

-Aaliyah Garinga