Porosiajin|A Prussian Couple
12th month, 1860
Medium
Woodblock print; ink and color on paper
Dimensions
Image: 14 1/4 x 9 1/2 in. (36.2 x 24.1 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
2007.49.180
Tags
Art Historical Context
In the waning years of Japan's Edo period (16151868), Utagawa Yoshitora, a prolific ukiyo-e artist for his dynamic warrior prints and scenes of daily life, captured the exotic allure of the West in *Porosiajin|A Prussian* (1860). This woodblock, rendered in vibrant inks and colors on paper, a stylish Prussian man and woman—likely inspired by the influx of European traders and diplomats following Commodore Perry's arrival in 1853. The title's "Porosiajin" reflects the Japanese phonetic rendering of "Preussin," highlighting how isolated Japan grappled with and romanticized foreign cultures durin...
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...