Naruto Whirlpool, Awa Province

Hiroshige is using a format of print called “Oban,” it is a vertical formal and it gives this piece a more tight vertical composition and gives the viewer a more direct path to follow from the whirlpool outwards to the back where it is calmer and connected to the land. The rocks in the middle are tall and dominant it acts as a guide for the viewer. The rocks also are in a very similar position to the great wave in Hokusai’s piece allowing for a very close parallel between the two works. Hiroshige is using Prussian Blue an invention of the west, using bokashi printing in the water (gradient of color) to show the movement within the water.

• Jesus Martinez Gomez