Mountain Gorge in Winter

Snow-covered mountains reach skyward, their tops covered with snowy pines. Tiny buildings nestle into the landscape at the top and bottom of an icy blue waterfall. A lone woodsman laden with firewood, his reed snow jacket buffeted by wind, inches across a precarious bridge toward the small mountain village. At the bottom of the ravine, three boats make their way down the river.

Although some scholars suggest this scene may represent an upstream view of the Fuji River in the Akaishi Mountains of central Japan, there is no indication of the title or location on the print. The composition seems to be Hiroshige’s homage to the classical Chinese landscape tradition brought to Japan in the 15th century.