Fireman
ca. 1858
Medium
Woodblock print; ink and color on paper
Dimensions
Image: 13 1/2 × 9 1/4 in. (34.3 × 23.5 cm) Mat: 15 1/2 × 22 3/4 in. (39.4 × 57.8 cm)
Classification
Prints
Culture & Period
Japan · Edo period (1615–1868)
Department
Asian Art
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
Gift of the Estate of Samuel Isham, 1914
Accession Number
JP212.25
Tags
Art Historical Context
Created around 1858 during Japan’s Edo period, “Fireman” is a vibrant woodblock print by Utagawa Yoshitora, a prolific artist of the Utagawa school. This school dominated ukiyo-e production, creating affordable, colorful images of everyday heroes, actors, and urban life for a growing middle-class audience. The medium itself—carved woodblocks inked and pressed onto paper—allowed multiple impressions, making art accessible beyond elite circles and capturing the dynamic spirit of Edo (modern Tokyo). In the mid-19th century, wooden cities like Edo faced frequent devastating fires, making firefigh...
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...