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Gaikokujin yoru benkyo no zu|Foreigners Studying at Night

Utagawa Yoshikazu

1861

ink

paper

From the collection of Metropolitan Museum of Art

Impressionism Realism Late 19th Century Interior Reading

Dominant colour

Gaikokujin yoru benkyo no zu|Foreigners Studying at Night is a 1861 ink by Utagawa Yoshikazu, a Impressionism work, depicting Interior, held at Metropolitan Museum of Art.

Who painted this?: Utagawa Yoshikazu
When & what style?: 1861 · Impressionism
Where can I see it?: Metropolitan Museum of Art

About this work

This print shows a woman in a dark, patterned dress standing in front of a mirror. Behind her, a man in a red-and-black outfit sits at a table with other people, all facing away. The room has a clock, framed pictures, and a small candle on a desk. The woman’s reflection in the mirror looks different—her hair is styled neatly, and she wears lighter clothes. The title says this scene is about foreigners studying at night. The artist used bold colors and sharp lines to show the contrast between the woman’s real and mirrored look. Look up cross-hatching to see how artists create shading with lines.