Ukiyo-e print Expressing the harmony between art and nature - Atagoshita and Yabu Street by Hiroshige

"Atagoshita and Yabu Street" (original title: 愛宕下薮小路) is a woodblock print by the Japanese painter and illustrator Utagawa Hiroshige (1797-1858) produced in December 1857.

The central theme of this melancholic print is snow, which dominates the entire scene. The Atagoshita ("beneath the Atago") district takes its name from its position beneath Mount Atago. It is home to many feudal lords' residences (daimyos), such as that of the Katō clan of Minakuchi, visible in the background in front of the red gate of Atagosha Shrine, or that of the Hijikata clan of Komono (Mie Prefecture), represented by the long building on the left. From Yabukōji Street, located to the right of the canal in the lower right corner, all that is visible is a tall bamboo cane (yabu), its branches bent under the weight of the snow. It occupies the right half of the sky, where a few sparrows are flying. Bamboo, like sparrows, symbolizes friendship and gentleness, and is an omen of happiness. In this composition, the harshness of the winter cold is softened by the striking contrast of colors, where the dark blue of the canal and the green of the bamboo intensify the red, white and pale blue tones of the sky.