Scattered Pines on the Tone River

The right half of the picture is covered by a freshly thrown net, through whose translucent mesh a sailboat's sail can be seen. Reeds grow in the left foreground, and a fisherman's small boat floats on the river. On the far bank are reed beds, scattered pines, and houses, and two white herons fly in the sky. On the small boat a man pulls in the net.

The gray fine lines of the net render the scenery seen through it, in a bold and new composition. The contrast between the net in front and the scenery behind captures the breadth of the river and a single moment of fishing.

The Tone River in the title refers to its branch, the Edo River, and the lower reaches at the time correspond to today's Old Edo River. "Barabara-matsu" is said to be a famous spot of sparsely growing pines, but its location is unclear, and the leading theory is that the view looks upstream from around Myoken Island. This area was a watery district east of Edo where fishing flourished.

This print belongs to the summer section, and its censor's seal dates it to the eighth month of Ansei 3 (1856). Among the series' technique of drawing something in the foreground large and letting the background peek through, this print, which shows the scenery through a net, is considered especially original.