Herons Among Grasses

1809

Death of his mother and father: an orphan at twelve

Hiroshige's mother died in early 1809 and his father later that year, but not before handing his fire warden duties to his twelve-year-old son. The boy was charged with preventing fires at Edo Castle, a duty that left him much leisure time.

by 1812

Turned away by Toyokuni, he becomes Toyohiro's pupil

Hiroshige sought the tutelage of Toyokuni of the Utagawa school, but Toyokuni had too many pupils, and a librarian introduced him instead to Toyohiro of the same school. He also studied the techniques of the Kanō, Nanga and Shijō schools.

1829–1830

The turn to landscape: “Eight Views of Ōmi”

Until then Hiroshige had worked in the usual ukiyo-e themes: book illustrations, beauties and kabuki actors. It was not until 1829–1830 that he began to produce the landscapes he is known for, such as the series “Eight Views of Ōmi”, and he also made an increasing number of bird and flower prints.

1832

Journey to Kyoto along the Tōkaidō

As a fire warden he was entitled to minor privileges reserved for low-ranking samurai, which is how he secured an invitation to join an official procession to Kyoto and travelled the Tōkaidō route linking the two capitals. He sketched the scenery along the way.

1856

He becomes a Buddhist monk

In 1856 Hiroshige “retired from the world”, becoming a Buddhist monk; this was the year he began his “One Hundred Famous Views of Edo”.

12 October 1858

Died