Americans Drawn from Life (Sho utsushi Amerikajin) 1861

Utagawa Yoshikazu’s woodblock print presents us with an image of Americans, observed through a Japanese lens. Dominant is the lady’s parasol, a symbol of status and protection, reminiscent of classical depictions of divine figures sheltered by celestial canopies, and the gentleman’s pipe. Consider how the simple act of smoking, seen here, transforms across cultures. In Dutch Golden Age paintings, a pipe might symbolize fleeting pleasure or vanitas. Yet, the rising smoke is universally evocative, like the smoke from sacrificial fires or the steam from a locomotive, signaling change, transition, and perhaps even disruption. These everyday objects become charged with meaning, reflecting a culture grappling with the unfamiliar. As they are reinterpreted and integrated into new visual narratives, their meanings evolve, echoing the continuous interplay between past and present.