Snapshots of the Past

[Japanese drawing] – Vintage Print

[Japanese drawing], 1750 — historic drawing
[Japanese drawing], 1750. Historic drawing from the Japanese Prints collection.

(Originally scanned by the Library of Congress. Each image is professionally and digitally cleaned of artifacts such as color bars and extra borders prior to printing.)

Description

A window into the past: [Japanese drawing], preserved in this historic drawing. Sourced directly from the Library of Congress, it represents an authentic piece of documented history.

The framed print arrives ready to hang; the unframed option suits custom framing. It brings character to any room and makes a memorable gift. Free shipping in the lower 48 states. Snapshots of the Past, founded in 2001, has served tens of thousands of customers worldwide.

[Japanese drawing]

Order a print

Secure checkout · SSL encryptedPowered by Stripe and PayPal

Free shipping in the lower 48 states. The checkout page shows the picture, size and price before you pay.

Sign up for our newsletter

Sent securely. No purchase needed. Unsubscribe anytime.

Ask about licensing or this print

What sets this drawing apart is its pairing of a Tokyo drawbridge with foreign visitors. The record dates the scene to between 1850 and 1900, a period when Japan's ports and capital were opening to Westerners after more than two centuries of tight restriction. Drawbridges were a familiar feature of the city's moats and castle approaches, so the subject shows how outsiders moved through places that had long been closed to them. The catalog credits the artist as Isoda Koryūsai, who was active from 1764 to 1788, and that span does not match the 1750 date given, so the dating deserves caution.

Created / published1750
CreatorIsoda Koryūsai fl. 1764-1788 artist.
Medium1 drawing.
NotesForms part of: Japanese prints and drawings (Library of Congress). Forms part of the David Murray Collection.
SubjectsDrawbridges--Japan--Tokyo--1850-1900. Foreign visitors--Japan--Tokyo--1850-1900.
SourceLibrary of Congress, Japanese Fine Prints
Original scan3,684 × 5,328 px · prints to 12 × 18 in at 300 dpi
ReferenceAMZ-SOTP-JFP-227407

More from the Japanese Prints collection

Snapshots of the Past helps heritage brands, museums, historians and storytellers tell stories with history: historic prints, image licensing and historical storytelling drawn from more than 25 years of research and curation.