Artwork

歌川芳員画『外国人衣服仕立之図』|Foreign Family with Wife Making Clothes (Gaikokujin ifuku shitate no zu)

歌川芳員画『外国人衣服仕立之図』|Foreign Family with Wife Making Clothes (Gaikokujin ifuku shitate no zu) is an ink print by the Impressionist artist Utagawa Yoshikazu. It dates from 1860 and is held in the collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art.

About this work

The artist shows Western clothes, furniture, and even a newspaper—things most Japanese viewers had never seen.

You see a Japanese woodblock print of a Western family in their parlor. The wife sews at a table, a child plays on the floor, and the husband reads a newspaper. A hot iron sits on a stand.

This print was made in 1860, just as Japan opened its ports to foreign trade. The artist shows Western clothes, furniture, and even a newspaper—things most Japanese viewers had never seen. The scene feels stiff, like a staged photo, because it was based on a foreign engraving, not real life.

Look up other prints of daily life from the same museum.

Overview

Utagawa Yoshikazu's 1860 woodblock print, 'Foreign Family with Wife Making Clothes' (Gaikokujin ifuku shitate no zu), depicts a domestic scene of a Western family within their parlor. The composition centers on the wife seated at a table, actively sewing, while her husband reads a newspaper nearby and a child plays on the floor. A hot iron rests on a stand, emphasizing the specific activity of garment construction. Created in 1860, shortly after the opening of Japanese ports to foreign trade, the work reflects the intense contemporary curiosity regarding Western customs and material culture. As a nishiki-e print, it utilizes ink and color on paper to render the distinct clothing and interior furnishings of the foreign subjects. This piece is a significant example of the *kaikoku* (opening of the country) genre, where Japanese artists documented the sudden presence of foreigners in treaty ports. Yoshikazu, active during the late Edo period, produced this work to satisfy public interest in the 'other,' translating observed or imagined Western life into the traditional ukiyo-e format. The print serves as a historical document of the Meiji Restoration's precursors, capturing the moment Japan began to visually integrate foreign elements into its artistic narrative.

Subject & Meaning

The image presents a domestic scene that introduces Japanese viewers to Western customs of dress and household activity. By focusing on everyday tasks—sewing, reading, and childcare—the print functions as a visual record of foreign lifestyle during Japan’s early period of international contact.

Technique & Style

Executed in the nishiki-e method, the work combines carved woodblocks for each colour with ink applied to paper. The composition is tightly arranged, with clear outlines and flat areas of pigment, reflecting the influence of imported engravings that served as the artist’s model.

History & Provenance

Created shortly after the 1859 opening of Japanese ports to foreign trade, the print reflects the surge of interest in Western subjects among Edo‑period publishers. It was produced for the domestic market and later entered museum collections as an example of early cross‑cultural visual exchange.

Context

During the late Tokugawa era, Japanese printmakers began incorporating foreign motifs after exposure to imported images and printed matter. This work exemplifies that trend, using a foreign engraving as a source, which explains its staged, photograph‑like quality.

Legacy

The print stands as a document of Japan’s initial visual encounter with Western domesticity, illustrating how ukiyo‑e artists adapted new subject matter while retaining traditional woodblock techniques. It continues to inform studies of cultural perception in the early Meiji period.