外国人物図畫仏蘭西|France, from the series Pictures of People from Foreign Lands (Gaikoku jinbutsu zuga)
1865
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From the collection of Metropolitan Museum of Art
1865
ink
From the collection of Metropolitan Museum of Art
This print shows two people sitting side by side. The man on the left wears a dark coat, light pants, and a stiff collar, holding a glass. The woman on the right has a bright red dress with blue floral patterns, a yellow scarf, and a tall, feathered hat. Behind them, a banner with Japanese writing floats in the air. The man’s outfit looks like European clothes from long ago, while the woman’s hat and pose feel exaggerated and stylized. The colors are bold—reds, blues, and golds—with flat areas of color and simple outlines. Look up Utagawa Yoshitora next to see how this artist blended foreign styles into Japanese prints.
