Witte irissen before 1897

This photograph of white irises was made by Kazumasa Ogawa, a pioneering photographer and printer active in Japan during the Meiji period. Ogawa’s work coincided with a period of rapid modernization and Westernization in Japan. The Meiji government actively promoted the adoption of Western technologies and artistic styles, and photography was quickly embraced as a modern medium. Ogawa played a key role in this process, establishing one of the first photographic printing businesses in Japan and producing a wide range of images that documented the country's transformation. This image can be understood in the context of Japan's engagement with Western art and technology during the Meiji era. Scholars might consult photography journals and business records to better understand the institutional context in which Ogawa was working. This work emphasizes the importance of understanding art as a product of its social and institutional environment.