Artwork preview

“Act II, Scene 2: Along Train Tracks in America,” from the series The Strange Tale of the Castaways: A Western Kabuki

Adachi Ginkō

The Metropolitan Museum of Art

Colorful woodblock print depicts a dramatic scene. Two people in modern Western clothing lie on the ground. The person on the left wears a white shirt with billowy sleeves and white pants; they have their eyes closed and their right arm raised above their head. A person on the right, wearing a white kimono and stockings sits with their back on the ground and their legs stretched out. A man in a black Western-style suit lies across their legs. Two figures with red skin and yellow sunflower-like headpieces stand over them. A man on the right holds a long stick. The background features a grassy area with a tree on the left and a body of water with a cloud and a full moon on the top right. A small wooden structure sits at an angle on the right. The scene is bordered by Japanese text.

Artwork Details

Date
1879
Medium
Woodblock print (nishiki-e); ink and color on paper; vertical ōban
Culture
Japan
Dimensions
431 × 625 px
Public Domain
Yes
Museum Record
View original
Palette