Antique Japanese woodblock print Expressing the harmony between art and nature - View of Kōnodai and the Tone-gawa River by Hiroshige

"View of Kōnodai and the Tone-gawa River" (original title: 鴻の台とね川風景) is a woodblock print by the Japanese painter and illustrator Utagawa Hiroshige (1797-1858) produced in May 1856.

The steep Kōnodai Hill, overlooking the Tone River, now known as Edo River, holds major strategic importance as a defensive bastion. In this print, the left side of the composition is dominated by a rocky outcrop painted in a style reminiscent of Chinese tradition. Surmounted by three large pine trees, this formation gives an impression of imposing height, accentuated by the presence of three small, animated figures who appear to be in heated discussion, thus providing a visual scale for the hill's size. This location is famous thanks to Kyokutei Bakin's literary work "Nansō Satomi Hakkenden" (Story of the Eight Dogs of Nansō Satomi). In the distance, the river is bustling with the passage of barges laden with goods heading toward the city, while Mount Fuji looms on the horizon under a yellow sky, heralding a clear morning. The blue tint of the sky at the top of the image is a recurring feature, accentuated by the grain of the wood used for the print.