Page from the Ten Bamboo Studio Manual of Painting and Calligraphy 1633

This page from the Ten Bamboo Studio Manual of Painting and Calligraphy was made in China using ink on paper. It’s part of a woodblock printing manual attributed to Hu Zhengyan, who lived during the late Ming Dynasty. The manual itself is a fascinating example of collaborative production. The original designs were made by recognized artists, but then translated into carved woodblocks by skilled artisans. The visual effect relies on the unique qualities of ink – its fluidity, its capacity for subtle gradations of tone, and the way it interacts with absorbent paper. But the real story is in the printing. Each page was painstakingly produced by layering different color blocks, demanding precision and registering each impression. In this way, the manual democratized sophisticated brushwork, and transformed the artistic process into something reproducible. It blurs the line between high art and craft, making it a critical object for understanding the history of aesthetics and labor.