Small Head n.d.

Robert Frederick Blum created this etching of a ‘Small Head’ around the late 19th century. It depicts a woman in profile, likely of Japanese descent, rendered with delicate lines against a dark background. During this period, there was a surge of Western interest in Japanese culture, known as Japonisme. This print reflects that fascination, but it also reveals the complicated dynamics of cultural exchange. How does Blum represent this woman? Is she an individual, or an exoticized figure? The print’s style, with its emphasis on surface and pattern, also reflects the influence of Japanese art on Western printmaking. To understand this image, we can look to sources from the period - travel writing, exhibition reviews, and even department store catalogs - which reveal how Japanese art and culture were being marketed and consumed. By exploring the social and institutional context of this print, we can better understand its complex layers of meaning.