A Prosperous American Merchant Building in Yokohama (Yokohama asanban shokan hanei no zu) 1871

Curator: What a fascinating piece! This 1871 color woodblock print by Utagawa Hiroshige III, titled "A Prosperous American Merchant Building in Yokohama," really encapsulates the changing social landscape of Japan at the time. It’s currently held at the Art Institute of Chicago. Editor: It strikes me as an odd mix of the familiar and foreign, both jarring and intriguing. The color palette feels… almost dreamlike. Is that the effect of the woodblock medium? Curator: Indeed. Hiroshige III masterfully utilizes the ukiyo-e tradition to depict a very non-traditional scene: a Western building bustling with people, goods, and horses. It is indicative of the period called Japonisme where there was the fad for Japanese art. The Western buildings became fashionable. It signals Japan’s forced opening to international trade and influence during the Meiji Restoration. Editor: I am seeing flags that don't strike me as native to the area; in the composition I'm struck by the prominence of these foreign figures looking down from the building’s windows. What’s going on there? Curator: The building and its inhabitants, and the bustling scene surrounding it, symbolize both the opportunities and the perceived threats accompanying Western commerce and power. It’s a portrait of change in Japan. The flags speak of power but also of a global shift in dominance, while local commerce begins to change too. Editor: Looking closely, I see what appears to be people peering out the windows… are they like symbols of surveillance? Or of cultural clash between outsiders and people of Japan. Curator: The faces in the windows could suggest curiosity and observation, both from the foreign merchants and by Japanese artists regarding Western activity. They could symbolize scrutiny and perhaps, an underlying tension about this encounter of such disparate cultures. But who holds power and who doesn't, becomes a critical theme as we look deeper at such imagery. Editor: So much implied tension captured with such elegant lines and coloring. It truly shows that symbols speak volumes. Thank you, such compelling considerations about the encounter of east and west through image-making! Curator: My pleasure, uncovering those layers of meaning truly enriches how we understand the moment in time it encapsulates.