Street Scene in Ikao, Japan
Medium
Watercolor, gouache, and graphite on off-white wove paper
Dimensions
Sight: 10 3/8 x 12 5/8 in. (26.4 x 32.1 cm)
Classification
Watercolor
Culture
American
Department
The American Wing
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
Gift of William J. Baer, 1904
Accession Number
04.30
Tags
Art Historical Context
Robert Frederick Blum's *Street Scene in Ika, Japan* captures the lively bustle of a traditional Japanese hot-spring town's marketplace, teeming with houses lining narrow streets, men and women going about their daily affairs. As an American artist, Blum brings a Western gaze to this Eastern locale, likely during his travels in the late 19th, reflecting the era's Japonisme craze that captivated artists and collectors alike. Ikao, nestled in the mountains, was renowned for its winding paths and vibrant local life, which Blum renders with intimate detail on a modest 10 3/8 x 12 5/8-inch sheet. ...
About the Artist
Robert Frederick Blum · 1857–1903
American mural painter. Comment on works: painter