Artwork

Gaikokujin kodomo choai no zu|A Foreigner Enjoying Her Children

Gaikokujin kodomo choai no zu|A Foreigner Enjoying Her Children 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

Overview

Created in 1860 by the ukiyo‑e artist Utagawa Yoshikazu, this woodblock print depicts an interior scene of a foreign woman with her children. Executed in ink and color on paper, the work is part of the collection of The Metropolitan Museum of Art.

Subject & Meaning

The composition centers on a woman in a long dress, a red headscarf, and a dark shawl, cradling a child while standing before a window. Nearby, two other women sit on the floor—one caring for a baby, the other engaged in sewing—while a young boy plays on the floor. The arrangement suggests a quiet domestic routine, emphasizing familial care and everyday activity.

Technique & Style

Yoshikazu employs the characteristic ukiyo‑e woodblock method, using bold outlines and vivid pigments to define figures and interior details. The print’s flat areas of color, clear line work, and stylized perspective reflect the late Edo period’s interest in depicting foreign subjects within a Japanese visual vocabulary.

History & Provenance

The print was produced during a period of increasing contact between Japan and the West, when foreign figures began appearing in Japanese visual culture. After its creation, the work entered private collections before being acquired by The Metropolitan Museum of Art, where it remains on view as part of the museum’s Japanese prints holdings.