Russian Printers 1861

"Russian Printers" (1861) by Utagawa Yoshikazu is a woodblock print depicting two Western men engaged in printing. The man on the right is seated at a table, using a brush to transcribe text from a paper held by the standing man. The scene satirizes the introduction of Western printing technology to Japan, highlighting the new and foreign practices. The artist, a leading member of the Utagawa school, captured the humorous and awkward aspects of this cultural exchange in the expressive details of the figures. This playful and satirical depiction of Western influence is typical of the genre of ukiyo-e ("pictures of the floating world"), which flourished in Japan during the Edo period.