French Woman and Girl, from the series Foreign Merchants in Yokohama (Yokohama shōka ijin no zu) 1861

Editor: So, this is Utagawa Sadahide’s “French Woman and Girl, from the series Foreign Merchants in Yokohama," a woodblock print from 1861. I’m immediately struck by how the artist portrays these foreigners with such large features and distinctive clothing. What's your take on it? Curator: Well, this print is part of a larger phenomenon of "Yokohama-e," or Yokohama pictures. These prints depicted foreigners and their goods, produced at a time when Japan had just opened up to the West. The caricatured appearance wasn't necessarily malicious, but rather reflects a fascination with and a limited understanding of foreign cultures. The print served as a form of visual documentation, feeding the public's curiosity about these newcomers. Why do you think there's so much emphasis on the "exotic" items they carry? Editor: That's insightful! It makes me think about how images play a crucial role in shaping public perception, especially when direct contact is limited. Maybe those objects highlight what Japanese society found intriguing or unusual. Did these prints play a role in shaping the narrative around Westerners at the time? Curator: Absolutely. These prints, mass-produced and widely circulated, were instrumental in constructing a visual narrative of the "foreign Other." They presented the West to a Japanese audience, filtered through the lens of Japanese artistic and cultural conventions. Did the government or any other authority attempt to censor or guide the narrative these images presented? Editor: I hadn’t thought about censorship. Perhaps it was less about outright censorship and more about a subtle cultural translation – reinterpreting foreignness within familiar artistic frameworks. The exaggerated features might then be read not just as caricature, but as a way of making the unfamiliar "knowable" to the Japanese audience. It seems a bit complicated! Curator: Indeed. Art serves a public function that cannot be divorced from historical and political implications, subtly reflecting evolving perceptions of the West and its place in a changing world. Editor: It’s really eye-opening to think about how something seemingly simple can carry so much historical weight. Thanks for sharing your insights.