Hiroshige was born in 1797 in an area to the west of Edo (present day Tokyo). His parents both passed at an early age and Hiroshige took up their posts as firefighters for Edo castle. Work was so lax that he could learn to paint in his spare time. He was an extremely prolific painter, with an estimation of over 8,000 prints during his lifetime. A Mr. Uchida estimates that he drew two pictures a day, an astonishing feat. He also taught a handful of students during his later years, but none of them ever turned out to be artists in their own right1.
This print here is the 98th out of his One Hundred Famous Views of Edo. Depicted is a single firework falling over a lake full of boats, probably during the late summer or early fall. This is probably a “Kawabiraki” fireworks ceremony, a ritual to chase off evil spirits2.
The anticipation for the impending shower of light is almost palpable; the firework has long descended from its peak and seems to be just on the verge of exploding. Thus this piece perfectly demonstrates the animation principle of anticipation. It is as straightforward as it sounds; anticipation is the buildup to the action3. In animation it is best to give a few frames to keep the audience interested. In this case, a firework on the verge of exploding is more interesting than one in full bloom. There is potential for action, but as viewers we have no idea what colour this explosion will be, how big it will be, will it even explode?
Sources:
1. Noguchi, Yone. “Life of Hiroshige”, “Ando Hiroshige”. http://www.hiroshige.org.uk/hiroshige/noguchi/01_life_of_hiroshige.htm.
2. “Hiroshige: One Hundred Famous Views of Edo”, George Braziller, Inc”. (216).
3. Lightfoot, Nataha. “12 Principles”. Animation Toolworks.
Image via: http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:100_views_edo_098.jpg
animationfoundation 
Alex
November 12, 2011
My dad has a lot of Japanese paintings done from this era. I think it’s a common concept to paint an event BEFORE it happens, like two warriors who just drew their swords out, rather than to paint the resulting actions. I don’t know if this was a rule or anything, but it’s interesting that the old Japanese painters would rather have you fill in the blanks yourself.