Orandajin

About this artwork

kleurenhoutsnede; lijnblok in zwart met kleurblokken

Art Historical Context

Created in 1861 by Utagawa Yoshitora, *Orandajin* (“Dutch Person”) is a striking color woodcut that captures Japan’s first encounters with Westerners following the end of its long isolation policy. Yoshitora, a prolific member of the Utagawa school, specialized in Yokohama-e prints—scenes of foreign residents and visitors in the newly opened treaty port of Yokohama. This single-sheet print, measuring roughly 37 by 24 centimeters, uses the classic ukiyo-e technique of multiple carved woodblocks inked in black and vibrant colors to depict a Dutch figure with careful attention to Western clothing...

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...