x
utagawa yoshikazu

utagawa yoshikazu

Utagawa Yoshikazu: Witnessing a Changing Japan Through Woodblock Prints Utagawa Yoshikazu, born in Tokyo during the late Edo period (approximately 1850-1870), stands as a pivotal figure in the vibrant world of Ukiyo-e art. While not as widely celebrated as some of his contemporaries like Hiroshige or Hokusai, Yoshikazu’s contribution is particularly significant for his extensive and insightful series documenting the arrival of Westerners and Western influences in Japan following the Treaty of Kanagawa with the United States in 1854. His work offers a unique window into a nation grappling wit…

7
works mapped
3
subjects
An Interactive Constellation

The Subject Atlas

A chart of utagawa yoshikazu's corpus mapped not by date but by subject. Spokes are what they painted; rings are when; and the threads between stars reveal the patrons and places that secretly connect them.

Focus a Subject
Trace a Context

Spokes — Subject

Each arm of the atlas gathers works by what they depict: portraits, sacred scenes, mythologies, and the scientific studies. Click a spoke to swing that cluster to the top.

Rings — Career Period

Distance from the center marks time. The innermost ring is the earliest period; the outermost, the final years. Style matures as you move outward.

Threads — Shared Context

Coloured lines link works bound by the same patron, commission, or theme. Trace a context to watch related clusters light up across subjects.