Fireworks at Ryōgoku (Ryōgoku hanabi), from the series One Hundred Famous Views of Edo (Meisho Edo hyakkei)

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FROM THE ART INSTITUTE OF CHICAGO’S CATALOG

In this dramatic woodblock print, lanterns glow aboard boats drifting on the Sumida River while fireworks explode in the clear, moonless night sky overhead. The setting is late summer or early fall, the hottest time of the year, and those who can afford the recreation enjoy the cool of the evening on pleasure boats. The remaining light from the fireworks permits the viewer to make out the details of travelers crowding the bridge and buildings on the far shore.

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