Scene at a Bridge over a Stream, with Nine Figures and Cottages, from the book The Stamping Song of Men (Otoko toka)
- Medium:
- Woodblock print
- Source:
- Art Institute of Chicago
- Image courtesy of
- Art Institute of Chicago
Description
This illustration from Otoko toka (The Stamping Song of Men), a printed book rather than a single-sheet print, depicts nine figures in animated activity on or near a bridge spanning a stream, with thatched cottages visible in the background. The book format — smaller in scale than oban single sheets and printed in monochrome or limited color — reflects the kibyoshi and kusazoshi illustrated fiction traditions in which Hokusai worked extensively earlier in his career. The composition demonstrates his facility with multi-figure genre scenes: the nine figures are individually characterized through posture and gesture, avoiding the repetitive arrangement typical of lesser illustrators. The bridge and stream create a natural diagonal across the pictorial space, while the cottages suggest a rural or suburban setting. The title's reference to a stamping song implies a festive or communal context, consistent with the animated figural grouping.
More Prints by Katsushika Hokusai
The Fishermen of Katase Hauling in Their Nets: The Purple Shell (Murasakigai)
1821
Color woodblock print with metallic pigments; surimono shikishiban
Burdock Root (Kurama gobo), from the series "A Selection of Horses (Uma-zukushi)"
1822
Color woodblock print; shikishiban, surimono
Horse Shells (Umagai), from the series "A Selection of Horses (Uma-zukushi)"
1822
Color woodblock print; shikishiban, surimono
Orange Orchids, from an untitled series of flowers
c. 1832
Color woodblock print; oban
More Landscapes Prints
Lake Kugushi in Wakasa Province (Wakasa Kugushiko), from the series Souvenirs of Travel I (Tabi miyage dai isshu)"
Wakasa Kugushiko
1920
Color woodblock print; oban
Autumn Maple Leaves at Takao, from the album Eight Views of Kyoto (Kyôto hakkei)
Woodblock print
The Beach at Kaiganji in Sanuki Province (Sanuki Kaiganji no hama), from the series "Collection of Views of Japan II, Kansai Edition (Nihon fukei shu II Kansai hen)"
1934
Color woodblock print; oban
Tea Kettle, section of a sheet from the series "Mirror of Stone Rubbings of Views of the Provinces" (Kohon meihitsu ishizuri kagami)
n.d.
Woodblock print; ishizuri-e, section of harimaze sheet
Featured in Collections
Curated cross-cuts that include this print.
Frequently Asked Questions
Scene at a Bridge over a Stream, with Nine Figures and Cottages, from the book The Stamping Song of Men (Otoko toka) was created by Katsushika Hokusai (葛飾北斎).
Scene at a Bridge over a Stream, with Nine Figures and Cottages, from the book The Stamping Song of Men (Otoko toka) depicts landscapes, rivers & lakes, and bridges.