Crossing a Bridge at Night, Tokyo
- Medium:
- Woodblock print
- Source:
- Japanese Art Open Database
- Image courtesy of
- Japanese Art Open Database
Description
Night scenes over Tokyo's Sumida River bridges represent some of Kiyochika's most technically demanding compositions, requiring precise gradation of the dark sky against artificial and natural light sources reflected in moving water. This print likely depicts one of the major Sumida crossings — Ryōgoku, Eitai, or Azuma Bridge — with figures reduced to silhouettes against the luminous background, a compositional strategy that exploits the contrast between darkness and illumination central to his kōsen-ga practice. Gas lamps, lanterns, or moonlight would define the light source, with reflected light creating secondary illumination on the water's surface below. The bridge as subject condensed the experience of Meiji Tokyo's nocturnal life into a single graphic moment.
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Featured in Collections
Curated cross-cuts that include this print.
Frequently Asked Questions
Crossing a Bridge at Night, Tokyo was created by Kobayashi Kiyochika (小林清親).
Crossing a Bridge at Night, Tokyo depicts landscapes.