Russian (Oroshiajin), from the series "People of the Five Nations (Gokakoku no uchi)"

Art Historical Context

In the late Edo period, Utagawa Yoshitora captured Japan's growing fascination with the outside world in his 1861 color woodblock print *Russian (Oroshiajin)*, from the series *People the Five Nations (Gakoku no uchi)*. This oban-sized (about 14 x 10 inches) portrays a Russian figure in traditional attire—likely featuring a fur hat, beard, and flowing coat—exotic to Japanese eyes amid the end of the sakoku isolation policy. The series highlighted foreigners from key treaty nations like Russia, the United States, Britain, France, and the Netherlands, blending curiosity with subtle national intrigue. Yoshitora, a prolific ukiyo-e artist from the Utagawa school, excelled in dynamic compositions and vivid colors achieved through precise woodblock carving and layered printing. Multiple blocks for pigments created the print's striking reds, blues, and golds, making it affordable yet accessible to urban audiences via publisher networks. These *ijin-zu* (images of barbarians) reflected bakumatsu-era tensions and cultural exchange, just before the Meiji Restoration opened Japan fully. Held in the Art Institute of Chicago's Arts of Asia collection, this work offers a window into 19th-century globalization's visual impact, inviting us to ponder how art bridged worlds.

About the Artist

Utagawa Yoshitora · 1845–1880

Utagawa Yoshitora (歌川 芳虎), also known by his art names Ichimōsai, Mōsai, and Kinchōrō, was a prolific ukiyo-e artist born in Edo (modern Tokyo), where he trained under the renowned Utagawa Kuniyoshi, recognized as his oldest pupil. Little is known of his early life, which remains sparsely documented, but his earliest works include illustrations for the book *Story of Karasu Kanzaemon’s Loyalty* in...