Who painted Igirisu fune|English Ship?

Igirisu fune|English Ship was painted by Utagawa Yoshitora in 2.

Where can I see Igirisu fune|English Ship?

Igirisu fune|English Ship is held by Metropolitan Museum of Art.

What movement is Igirisu fune|English Ship?

Igirisu fune|English Ship is associated with Impressionism.

Artwork

Igirisu fune|English Ship

Utagawa Yoshitora , 2

Igirisu fune|English Ship is an ink print by the Impressionist artist Utagawa Yoshitora. It dates from 2 and is held in the collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art.

About this work

Overview

Igirasu fune (English Ship) is a woodblock print executed by the Japanese artist Utagawa Yoshitora. Produced in the early Meiji era, the work measures a single sheet of paper printed with ink and color. It is part of the collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York.

Subject & Meaning

The image portrays a three‑masted western vessel with a dark hull, blue‑toned sails and flags fluttering from its rigging, floating on a stylized sea. A small circular portrait of a hat‑wearing man appears in the upper left corner, suggesting a possible patron or a reference to the ship’s captain.

Technique & Style

Created using the traditional ukiyo‑e woodblock process, the print combines bold outlines with flat areas of vivid pigment. The composition relies on clear, graphic forms and a limited palette, characteristic of mid‑nineteenth‑century Japanese commercial prints.

History & Provenance

Utagawa Yoshitora, a member of the prolific Utagawa school, produced this print during a period when foreign ships were a popular motif in Japanese visual culture. The piece entered the Metropolitan Museum of Art’s holdings through a 20th‑century acquisition of Japanese prints.

Context

The depiction reflects Japan’s encounter with Western technology after the opening of the country in the 1850s. Prints of foreign vessels circulated widely, satisfying public curiosity about the new maritime presence and symbolising the nation’s rapid modernization.