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Kita Amerka fune no zu|North American Ship

Utagawa Yoshitora

ink

paper

From the collection of Metropolitan Museum of Art

Impressionism Realism Classical Antiquity Marine Flag Portrait Ship

Dominant colour

Kita Amerka fune no zu|North American Ship is a 4 ink by Utagawa Yoshitora, a Impressionism work, depicting Flag, held at Metropolitan Museum of Art.

Who painted this?: Utagawa Yoshitora
When & what style?: 4 · Impressionism
Where can I see it?: Metropolitan Museum of Art

About this work

This print shows a big, puffing steamship on a blue sea, with black smoke pouring from its stacks. A red-and-white flag with stripes and stars flies at the back. In the top left corner, a man’s face is circled—he wears a black hat with a red band and a serious expression. Japanese text wraps around the edges, describing the scene. The ship’s smokestacks are drawn with thick, dark lines to show the steam. The artist used bold colors and simple shapes to make it look fast and powerful. Next, check out cross-hatching to see how artists use lines to create depth.