Newly Published Perspective Picture of Mount Fuji in Spring from Tagonoura (Shinpan uki-e Tagonoura haru no Fuji) c. 1772 - 1789

Utagawa Toyoharu’s "Newly Published Perspective Picture of Mount Fuji in Spring from Tagonoura" was made using woodblock print in Japan. Toyoharu was the founder of the Utagawa school and here, we see the adoption of European perspective, known in Japanese as uki-e or 'floating picture'. This print exemplifies the evolving role of art within a society opening up to the West, particularly the importation of linear perspective. We see Mount Fuji, a symbol of Japanese identity, but the integration of Western techniques raises questions about cultural exchange and adaptation. Does this fusion represent progress, a modernizing Japan embracing global influences, or does it reflect a tension between tradition and change? To understand the print, one can consult historical records of artistic exchange during this period. The institutions that fostered and promoted artistic innovation, like the Utagawa school itself, are also relevant. Such research allows us to appreciate art as a product of its time, shaped by social, political, and cultural forces.