Comment - (Flying Kites at) Mount Atago (Atagoyama), from the series Thirty-six Views of the Eastern Capital (東都三十六景　愛宕山). Charming view of Atagoyama in the evening Sky. Five kites are floating high up in the sky, most of them Edo type kites ("Edo-tako", "江戸凧") and one eagle kite ("tonbi dako", "鳶凧"). Two Edo kites carry Kanji caracters ("Kanji kite", "ji tako", "字凧"). In the foreground, travelers and pedestrians stroll alongside an open house, with the kiters sitting inside. The scene is situated above a city, with lots of houses adumbrated in the mist below. The horizon is glowing at sundown, with sailing boats on the sea far away in the background. Slight bokashi shading in the blue sky above, and the sundown sky above the water.

Atagoyama is a 26m elevation hill at present day "Minato Ward Atago 1 chome" in former days Edo and present day Tokiyo. The slope features the steeply inclined stone steps "otokozaka" and the more gentle "onnazaka", and it was a popular spot for moon viewing , kite flying and other activities because it overlooked Edo and Shibaura.


Series - "Thirty-six Views of the Eastern Capital" ("Tôto sanjûrokkei", "東都三十六景"). The series title is in the vertical rectangular cartouche in the top right corner. The title of each individual print is in the fan-shaped cartouche upper right. The series dates from the middle of HIROSHIGE II's career, when he was in his mid-thirties (35-36 years old). At this point, he was using the name "HIROSHIGE", since his master HIROSHIGE I had died (in 1858), and HIROSHIGE II had taken over the "gō" name "HIROSHIGE"; the prints in this series are signed "HIROSHIGE ga".


Artist - see Biography


Signature - Hiroshige-ga (広重画) (as HIROSHIGE-II) at lower left, red cassette; (see "Series")


Publisher - Sagamiya Tôkichi (相模屋藤吉), (AiTo publishing house, 柤卜) seal, left selvage, unter circular censor's seal (Inu go aratame, 戌五改)


Image Size -  36.3 x 24.9 cm    (14 11/16" x 10") + margins as shown)


Condition - Woodblock print (nishiki-e); ink and color on paper, single sheet, vertical ôban; Tate-e (portrait)