Artwork

「横浜英吉利西商館繁栄圖」|“The Flourishing of an English Trading Firm in Yokohama”

「横浜英吉利西商館繁栄圖」|“The Flourishing of an English Trading Firm in Yokohama” is an ink print by the Impressionist artist Utagawa Yoshiiku. It dates from 9 and is held in the collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art.

About this work

Overview

“The Flourishing of an English Trading Firm in Yokohama” is a triptych woodblock print by Utagawa Yoshiiku, executed in ink and color on paper. The work, dating from the late nineteenth century, is part of the collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art.

Subject & Meaning

The scene depicts a bustling interior market or shop associated with an English trading house in Yokohama. Figures in period dress crowd the space, surrounded by red‑carpeted floors, tables laden with jars, boxes and merchandise, and a profusion of flags and banners that convey the commercial vitality of the port during the era of foreign trade.

Technique & Style

Yoshiiku employs the traditional ukiyo‑e woodblock process, rendering fine patterns on the carpets and subtle shifts of light across objects. The composition is densely populated, using bright pigments and intricate line work to convey movement and the sensory richness of a busy mercantile environment.

History & Provenance

Created in the 1860s, the print reflects Yokohama’s rapid development as a hub for Western merchants following the opening of Japan’s ports. It entered the Metropolitan Museum of Art’s collection through acquisition in the twentieth century, where it remains on view as an example of Meiji‑period commercial imagery.