Picture Book of the Eternal Pines 1761 - 1771

Suzuki Harunobu made this woodblock print, Picture Book of the Eternal Pines, around the 1760s. The print exemplifies Ukiyo-e, a genre of Japanese woodblock prints and paintings that flourished from the 17th through 19th centuries. Look closely, and you can see that the block is made by carving away the parts of the wood that you don't want to print. The remaining parts are inked, and then the paper is pressed against the block to create the image. This print would have been produced through an intensive division of labor; an artist who made the original design, a wood block cutter who transferred the design onto the woodblocks, and a printer who applied ink to the block and transferred the image to paper. The production of Ukiyo-e prints was closely tied to the rise of a merchant class in Japan, with a taste for depictions of beautiful women, actors, and landscapes. By focusing on the materials, processes, and social context of this print, we gain a deeper understanding of its meaning and significance, challenging the traditional distinctions between fine art and craft.