English Woman, Chinese Dog, and Sheep (Eikoku fujin, karainu, rashiyamen), from the series "People of the Five Nations (Gokakoku jinbutsu zue)"
Medium
Color woodblock print; oban
Classification
woodblock print
Department
Arts of Asia
Museum
Art Institute of Chicago
Accession Number
32498
Art Historical Context
In the vibrant world of 19th-century Japanese ukiyo-e prints, Utagawa Hirosh II (Shigenobu), a talented successor to his master Hiroshige I, captured the exotic allure of global encounters. Created in 1860 as part of the series *People of the Five (Gokakoku jinbutsu zue)*, *English Woman, Chinese, and Sheep (Eikoku fujin, karainu, rashiyamen)* is a color woodblock print in the large oban format. This depicts an elegant English woman accompanied by a distinctive Chinese dog and sheep, blending Western and Asian elements in a whimsical tableau that reflects Japan's growing fascination with the o...
About the Artist
Utagawa Hiroshige II (Shigenobu) · 1826–1869
Utagawa Hiroshige II, born Suzuki Chinpei in 1826, was one of the most accomplished ukiyo-e artists of mid-nineteenth century Japan. He entered the studio of the celebrated landscape master Utagawa Hiroshige I — known for his iconic series "The Fifty-three Stations of the Tokaido" — and proved himself the most talented of the elder artist's few students. So highly regarded was the young pupil that...