Amerika Washinton fu|City of Washington in America
1st month, 1862
Medium
Triptych of woodblock prints; ink and color on paper
Dimensions
Image (a): 14 1/4 x 9 5/8 in. (36.2 x 24.4 cm) Image (b): 14 1/4 x 9 5/8 in. (36.2 x 24.4 cm) Image (c): 14 1/4 x 9 5/8 in. (36.2 x 24.4 cm)
Classification
Prints
Culture & Period
Japan · Edo period (1615–1868)
Department
Asian Art
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
Bequest of William S. Lieberman, 2005
Accession Number
2007.49.206a–c
Tags
Art Historical Context
**City of Washington in America** (*Amerika Washington-fu*), a vibrant triptych woodblock print by Utagawa Yosha, captures a Japanese artist's imaginative vision of an American urban scene in the 1st month of 1862. Yoshitora, a master the Utagawa school within ukiyo-e tradition, in depictions of foreigners and exotic locales during Japan's late Edo period (1615–1868). This work, composed of three matching sheets each measuring 14¼ × 9⅝ inches, uses ink and color on paper to evoke bustling streets filled with men, women, and horse-drawn carriages, blending meticulous detail with lively composit...
About the Artist
Utagawa Yoshitora · 1845–1880
Utagawa Yoshitora (歌川 芳虎), also known by his art names Ichimōsai, Mōsai, and Kinchōrō, was a prolific ukiyo-e artist born in Edo (modern Tokyo), where he trained under the renowned Utagawa Kuniyoshi, recognized as his oldest pupil. Little is known of his early life, which remains sparsely documented, but his earliest works include illustrations for the book *Story of Karasu Kanzaemon’s Loyalty* in...