外国人物図畫仏蘭西|France, from the series Pictures of People from Foreign Lands (Gaikoku jinbutsu zuga)
Medium
Woodblock print; ink and color on paper
Dimensions
14 x 9 5/8 in. (35.6 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
Gift of Lincoln Kirstein, 1959
Accession Number
JP3325
Tags
Art Historical Context
In the vibrant world of Edo-period Japan (1615–1868), Utagawa Yoshitora, a prolific artist from the renowned Utagawa school, captured the growing fascination with the outside world in his woodblock print *France*, from the series *Pictures of People from Foreign Lands (Gaikoku jinbutsu zuga)*. This intimate 14 x 9⅝-inch print, rendered in ink and color on paper, depicts French men and women in a lively drinking scene, showcasing Western attire and customs with meticulous detail. As a classic ukiyo-e ("pictures of the floating world") work, it reflects the genre's emphasis on everyday life, bea...
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...