Autumn at Asakusa; Viewing Cherry blossoms at Ueno Park

In March 1657 a fire destroyed much of the city of Edo (Tokyo). More than one hundred thousand people perished in the blaze or in the snowstorm that immediately followed. Fashions distinctive to the late seventeenth century are clearly evident among the nearly four hundred figures populating the expanse of this painting. Thus, these screens, painted in the artist's final years, should be understood as Moronobu's celebration of the seasonal pleasures of a resurrected and vital metropolis.

The right-hand screen depicts autumn activities. In the foreground is Kannonji Temple and the surrounding environment of Asakusa. In the upper left, above this scene, boats traverse the Sumida River to the opposite bank, where the pleasure houses of Mukojima await visitors. The left-hand screen shows throngs enjoying the cherry blossoms in the Ueno area. The Kaneiji Temple is at the far left, and Shinobazu Pond is in the foreground.

Hishikawa Moronobu, born into a family of textile designers, is regarded by some as a progenitor of the ukiyo-e style (art depicting contemporary life and pleasures) that flourished during the Edo period (1615-1868). He consolidated disparate genre painting styles into a canon that influenced several generations of artists.