Blackpool's Grundy Art Gallery is hosting a major exhibition of the later colour woodblock prints of 19th century Japanese artist Utagawa Hiroshige (1797-1858), from the collection of the British Museum.

The exhibition, organised by Ikon Gallery Birmingham, has been curated by renowned British artist Julian Opie.

The exhibition entitled Utagawa Hiroshige The Moon Reflected', received much critical acclaim when it was first shown at Ikon Gallery last year.

Grundy Art Gallery will host the exhibition from tomorrow to April 26.

Councillor Tony Williams, Cabinet Member with responsibility for Culture in Blackpool, commented on Hiroshige's work.

He said: "Hiroshige was known especially for his landscape prints.

"His work was very popular in the West during the late nineteenth century and definitely influenced the Western view of Japan.

"Hiroshige's work is extremely colourful and his last exhibition at the Grundy was extremely popular.

"I urge anyone interested in traditional Japanese art to visit the gallery and appreciate his wonderful work and this unique collection."

Born in Tokyo in 1797, Hiroshige studied printmaking and painting, becoming an illustrator of comic poetry and storybooks.

By 1830, he was concentrating on making prints of famous Japanese landscapes.

This exhibition features works from three series: Famous Views of the Sixty-Odd Provinces (1856), One Hundred Famous Views of Edo, (1856-58), and Thirty-six Views of Mt Fuji (1858). Their formal quality tends to be accentuated by the artist's choice of a vertical format, never before used to such an extent in Japanese landscape prints.

Hiroshige's last series, One Hundred Famous Views of Edo (1856-58), was originally intended to be one hundred images but there are more due to the popular demand.

The imagery features fascinating details amidst a range of evocative landscapes.

Rivers, hills, bridges and temples are depicted in these breathtaking compositions, each work revealing their different aspects depending on the weather, time of day and season.

Also included in this exhibition are a number of Hiroshige's sketchbooks and the famous Snow, Moon and Flowers triptychs.

Beautiful and unpretentious, these works epitomise Hiroshige's vision, extraordinary for their breadth and ambition.

The exhibition is funded by the National Lottery through Arts Council England.