Image: Ōta Memorial Museum of Art, Tokyo
The Ōta Memorial Museum of Art in Tokyo is currently displaying a work by Utagawa Hiroshige that stands out for its unusual approach to ukiyo-e subject matter and style. The print depicts a married couple chasing after a cat carrying a fish, a scene the museum’s social post describes with the question of whether the cat can get away. The work is on view in the museum’s 'Animal & Monster' exhibition through July 20.
According to the museum, the image is by Hiroshige, despite its markedly untraditional touch for an ukiyo-e work. That attribution adds a small surprise to an exhibition already framed around animals and monsters, where familiar subjects can appear in unexpected forms. The museum’s note singles out the print as one example of the variety on view in the exhibition.
The Ōta Memorial Museum of Art, located in Harajuku, specializes in ukiyo-e, and its programming often focuses on close looking at individual prints and artists. In this case, the museum is highlighting a single image from the broader exhibition rather than a large-scale installation or a separate event, with the work promoted directly through its current exhibition messaging.
The museum also notes that the exhibition will change after the first phase ends. On July 20, the first period of 'Animal & Monster' concludes, and all works will be rotated out for a complete replacement of the displayed pieces. The post does not identify which works will follow, but it makes clear that the current selection is temporary.
For visitors before the rotation, the Hiroshige print offers a concise example of the exhibition’s range: a domestic chase scene, a fish-snatching cat, and a composition that departs from expectations associated with the artist’s name. The museum’s short description leaves the image to do most of the work, presenting it as part of the ongoing run of 'Animal & Monster' at the Ōta Memorial Museum of Art through July 20.
