Amerikaans stel met sigaar en parasol 1861 - 1864

Editor: Here we have Utagawa Yoshikazu’s "Amerikaans stel met sigaar en parasol," created between 1861 and 1864. It’s a print at the Rijksmuseum depicting an American couple. The almost cartoonish style makes it seem both familiar and a little…distant. What formal elements stand out to you? Curator: Initially, it is important to observe how the artist has approached pictorial space. Consider the planar composition and the pronounced outlines defining each form. The deliberate contrast in colour—note the woman’s dress and the man’s jacket—enhances the overall graphic quality. The textures, though subtle, contribute to the visual interest. Can you identify specific textural variations that contribute to the dynamic? Editor: Well, the woman’s dress seems to have a different texture than the man's solid coat, doesn’t it? More flowy? What does the flatness contribute to the viewer experience, then? Curator: Indeed. It mitigates any illusion of depth. It serves instead to accentuate the two-dimensional integrity of the picture plane. There are notable absences in terms of chiaroscuro, so any conventional reading of the rendering is futile. How, then, might one approach its understanding? Editor: Is it fair to suggest the shapes themselves become the focus – less about reality, and more about representation? Curator: Precisely. This image challenges representational norms. By disregarding traditional conventions such as proper proportions and perspectival accuracy, the artwork invites a reevaluation of visual interpretation. The essence, as I argue, exists purely on the level of structural aesthetics. Editor: I see how that formalist approach opens up new possibilities for understanding the work! Thanks. Curator: It highlights the self-referential quality of art, no? We can explore many more such visual devices together, shall you wish to delve deeper.