Furansukoku (France) 1861

This is Utagawa Yoshikazu's woodblock print, Furansukoku, or France, made sometime between 1845 and 1870. Yoshikazu created this print during a period of immense social and cultural change in Japan, as the country opened its doors to the West. These Yokohama prints reflect Japan's fascination with, and often stereotyped understanding of, foreign cultures. This print depicts a French couple, the woman holding what appears to be a cello. The image is accompanied by text providing information about France. We can assume Yoshikazu had limited direct exposure to French culture, relying on second-hand accounts and his own imagination to create this image. The figures are rendered with a mix of curiosity and exoticism, reflecting the complex relationship Japan had with the West at this time. Yoshikazu’s print invites us to consider the power dynamics inherent in cultural exchange and representation, and how the gaze of the artist shapes our understanding of others. How do these imagined representations shape identities?