Apres Hiroshige

Of late the British Museum has been in the habit of getting Julian Opie to curate shows of Japanese prints. Dream job, in my opinion. I hope they keep doing it.

In 2007 Opie selected a whole range of Hiroshige prints, including the late triptychs. Tarragon and I saw them that winter, and a little bit later Tarragon made this oil sketch based on one of them.

Specifically, the view of Shisaku, Iki Province, from the series Famous Views of the Sixty-Odd Provinces.

It's a nice painting, but I find it a bit jarring to see a Hiroshige view without that rich and characteristic blue that is so common in his landscapes. I suppose the cooler blue in Tarragon's painting suits the snowy scene.