Utagawa Kunisada (Toyokuni III). A View of Water: Characters from Rustic Genji / Fan print, 1849-52.

Artist: Utagawa Kunisada [歌川 国貞], a.k.a. Utagawa Toyokuni III [三代 歌川 豊国] (Japanese, 1786 – 1865)

Signed: Toyokuni ga (豊國画) in a red toshidama cartouche

Publisher: Not indicated on this impression; a second print from the series (A View of the Moon)* bears the seal of Enshūya Matabei [遠州屋又兵衛] (Japanese, fl. c. 1768 – 1881); seal: “to” (ト) under roof, Marks 01-031 | 057a

Censor seal: Hama (濱) & Magome (馬込), from 1/1849 to 2/1852

Media: Aiban yoko-e uchiwa-e (団扇絵), color woodblock print, 230 x 292 mm

Title: A View of Water (水のながめ, Mizu no nagame)

Three elaborately dressed figures appear before a riverbank at sunset, with distant figures strolling and a vivid red-to-indigo sky above.

From left to right:

• Mitsuuji (光氏) – the protagonist of Nise Murasaki Inaka Genji (A Rustic Genji), portrayed here in richly patterned robes, holding a fan
• Akashi-hime (明石姫) – a noble-born beauty from the same parody, shown in elegant pink robes with floral motifs
• Murasaki Shikibu (紫式部) – the historical author of The Tale of Genji, here inserted as a character observing her creations, suggesting a reflexive or parodic framing

This print likely forms a paired composition with another uchiwa-e titled A View of the Moon (Tsuki no nagame, 月のながめ)*, which mirrors the format and features a complementary moonlit landscape. The two designs were likely mounted back-to-back on a single fan, creating a poetic pairing of moon and water (tsuki to mizu, 月と水) — a classical motif in Japanese art and literature.

Preparatory drawing*	Final print

 

*The companion moonlit landscape print and a preparatory drawing for the present design are in the collection of Theo de Kreijger, who also generously shared the images and research supporting this identification. Thanks to Horst Graebner of the Kunisada Project for his contributions and expertise.

The assembled fan image courtesy Smithsonian Collections from Commodore Matthew Perry’s Japan Expedition (1853-1854). Accession Number 199043, Accession Date 9 Mar 1859.