HIROSHIGE (1797-1858)

Utagawa Hiroshige, Plum Estate, Kameido,1857 Van Gogh Museum, Amsterdam.

"Born in Edo as Tokutaro Ando, Hiroshige grew up in a minor samurai family . . . In 1811, the young artist entered an apprenticeship with the celebrated Utagawa Toyohiro.

 After only a year, he was bestowed with the artist name Hiroshige. He soon gave up his role in the fire department to focus entirely on painting and print design. During this time he studied painting, intrigued by the Shijo school. Hiroshige’s artistic genius went largely unnoticed until 1832." 

Many more paintings at this website: http://www.roningallery.com/artists/hiroshige