Views of Foreigners (Gaikokujin no zu) - Utagawa Yoshitomi

A classic Yokohama-e woodblock print depicting French and British figures on horseback, capturing the curiosity of the late Edo period.

This woodblock print, titled Gaikokujin no zu, belongs to the Yokohama-e genre of the late Edo period. These prints emerged following the opening of the port of Yokohama in 1859, which allowed for limited contact between Japanese citizens and Westerners. Artists of the Utagawa school documented these newcomers, often focusing on their attire, technology, and customs, which appeared exotic to the local population.

The composition depicts two figures on horseback, identified by cartouches as French and British. The artist employs the characteristic flat perspective and bold outlines of the Ukiyo-e tradition. The figures are rendered with a degree of caricature, reflecting the curiosity and occasional bewilderment of the Japanese public regarding Western fashion. The woman, representing the British figure, wears a voluminous skirt decorated with patterns that suggest a fusion of Western silhouettes and Japanese textile sensibilities. The French figure wears a bicorne hat and a military-style jacket.

Technically, the print displays the refined woodblock carving and printing methods of the mid-nineteenth century. The colour palette is restrained, relying on muted tones of blue, pink, and ochre, which were typical of the period's pigments. The horses are depicted with a stylised anatomy, common in Japanese art of the time, where the focus remained on the decorative quality of the line rather than anatomical precision. This work serves as a historical record of the cultural exchange that occurred during the Bakumatsu period, capturing a moment when Japan began to engage with the wider world. It provides a view into how foreign presence was visualised and interpreted by local artists before the rapid modernisation of the Meiji era transformed the country's artistic output.