Sadahide: French Couple Sightseeing at Kanda Myojin Shrine 神田明神

Artist: Gountei Sadahide (1807-ca. 1878)
Title: French Couple Sightseeing at Kanda Myojin Shrine 神田明神
Date: 1861

A French man wearing a long blue coat and a black hat and his wife in a bonnet, shawl and wide skirt, look upwards towards what must be the entrance to Kanda Myojin shrine in Edo. They have certainly become a spectacle themselves, as curious spectators seem to be gawking rather openly at them. This work dates from the time of the brief fascination with the foreigners, when they first flooded into Yokohama around 1859. Sadahide was certainly the best artist when it came to capturing the foreigners in all of their strangeness, as he was a great artist and he had a terrific eye for details. Note the three gold buttons at the back of the man’s coat, and the detailed walking cane that he rests his arm on. 

Literature: Yonemura, Yokohama: Prints from Nineteenth Century Japan. See Library of Congress, Edo Tokyo Museum.

Condition: Very good impression, color and condition. Untrimmed and unbacked. Small smudge in sky. 
Dimensions: ôban (37 x 25.6 cm)
Signature: Gountei Sadahide ga

SKU: SAD042