Goose on riverbank

Date:: c. 1833/34
Medium:: Color woodblock print; koban
Format:: Koban
Source:: Art Institute of Chicago

Typical Price

Later reprint (Meiji–Taisho era publishers): $50–$400
Good later impression (Edo-period, faded pigments): $1,000–$5,000
Good early impression (vivid color, sensitive observation): $5,000–$20,000
Fine early impression (exceptional freshness and condition): $20,000–$50,000

Hiroshige's bird-and-flower prints (kacho-e) were enormously popular during his lifetime. Typically in vertical chuban or koban format, they represent the most accessible entry point for collectors of Hiroshige's work. Fine impressions retain remarkable freshness of color.

Description

A solitary goose stands on a riverbank in this small koban-format print from around 1833–34. The bird's compact silhouette against a pale background demonstrates Hiroshige's skill in the nature study format, where a single creature and minimal setting carry the entire compositional weight. The koban format — roughly half the size of an oban sheet — suited the intimacy of single-subject nature studies.