Vessels Departing from California, America
3rd month, 1862
Medium
Triptych of woodblock prints; ink and color on paper
Dimensions
Image (a): 14 1/2 x 9 7/8 in. (36.8 x 25.1 cm) Image (b): 14 1/2 x 10 in. (36.8 x 25.4 cm) Image (c): 14 1/2 x 10 in. (36.8 x 25.4 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
2007.49.133a–c
Tags
Art Historical Context
**Vessels Departing from, America** is a captivating triptych woodblock by Utagawa (Gountei) Sadah, created in the 3rd month of 1862 during Japan's late Edo period (1615–1868). This ink and color on paper work, measuring about 14½ x 30 inches when combined, exemplifies the ukiyo-e tradition of the Utagawa school, known for its vibrant depictions of everyday life, theater, and beauty. Sadahide, a master of this "pictures of the floating world" style, here captures a bustling harbor scene alive with men and women waving farewell amid churning waves and majestic ships, blending dynamic compositio...
About the Artist
Utagawa (Gountei) Sadahide · 1807–1873
Utagawa Sadahide was born Hashimoto Kenjirō in 1807 in Fusa Province, in the area of modern Chiba Prefecture, Japan. In the 1820s he entered the studio of the enormously prolific and influential master Utagawa Kunisada, becoming one of Kunisada's most prominent pupils and adopting the studio name Sadahide along with the Utagawa school's celebrated lineage. By 1828 his name appeared on a monument l...