American commodore Matthew Perry had arrived in 1853 with a fleet of  imposing, steam-powered warships, triggering an influx of foreign ideas, goods, and technologies to Japan. Yokohama, a small trading settlement, became the center of this new commercialism. Japanese printmakers documented these watershed events and promoted the image of a modern nation in ascent.

Influenced by the introduction of photography and Western newspaper illustrations, printmakers explored new formats. Many works in this exhibition are triptychs—horizontal compositions spanning three panels—particularly well suited to depicting wide boulevards, lengthy steam trains, and large buildings. These new subjects and the broader format appealed to both domestic and international audiences.

In 1868 Japan’s shogunate, the government that had once kept it largely isolated, collapsed. The emperor was restored, ushering in the Meiji period, which lasted until 1912. Under Emperor Meiji, Japan rapidly modernized, led by the mottoes of Bunmei Kaika (civilization and enlightenment) and Fukoku Kyōhei (enrich the country, strengthen the military). The prints in this gallery reflect Japan’s attempts to define itself between Eastern and Western influences and to become Asia’s modern empire.

The Dawn of Modernity: Japanese Prints, 1850–1900 is curated by Yuheng Deng, McMullan Arts Intern, Arts of Asia, and Janice Katz, Roger L. Weston Curator of Japanese Art, Arts of Asia.

For more exhibition information head to the website, click here.

Tagged 26/07.