A new exhibition at the British Museum, “Hiroshige: Artist of the Open Road,” showcases over 100 works by the Japanese ukiyo-e master Utagawa Hiroshige, including a landmark gift of 35 prints from U.S. collector Alan Medaugh. Many of the prints have never been publicly displayed before, and some are believed to be the only surviving examples of their kind. The show runs through September 7 and features landscapes, bird-and-flower prints, fan prints, and an immersive digital experience created with Outernet London.
The exhibition matters because it offers a comprehensive view of Hiroshige’s practice beyond his most famous landscape series, correcting a tendency to overlook the full range and complexity of his work. It also highlights Hiroshige’s profound influence on Western modern art and makes rare, high-quality prints accessible to the public, while the immersive digital component bridges 19th-century woodblock prints with contemporary technology.