A Japanese Print Collector and Monet - The great French impressionist Claude Monet was passionate about Japanese woodblock prints, and owned an impressive collection of mainly Edo era prints. We recently acquired an interesting group of woodblock prints from a collector who decided on an unusual theme: to collect the same subjects as those in Monet's personal collection. While these prints were not owned by Monet, it's interesting to see some of the designs that the artist admired and was influenced by.  A quirky and unusual provenance for this intriguing group of Japanese woodblocks.

Comments - Handsome scene of foreigners in Yokohama enjoying a party. At left, a man dances in front of a table spread with dishes of food and bottles of wine. The three bearded men sitting in chairs across from him watch with interest, one drinking from a glass goblet. Along the bottom edge, two Japanese beauties play the shamisen, while two foreign women at right chat together. They wear loose blouses and full hoop skirts. The "Five Nations" of the title refers to the five countries that signed trade treaties with Japan after it was opened to the West in 1858 (America, the Netherlands, Russia, England, and France). An intriguing look at the foreign quarter in Yokohama, nicely detailed.

Artist - Yoshitora (active circa 1840 - 1880)

Image Size - 13 5/8" x 18 1/4" + margin as shown

Condition - This print with excellent color and detail as shown. Three separate panels. A few holes, repaired. Slight soiling and ink offsetting, a few creases. Please see photos for details. Good overall.