Grand Sumo Tournament of the Two Nations, from the Series ‘Long Live Japan! One Hundred Selections, One Hundred Laughs’ 1904

This is a woodblock print by Kobayashi Kiyochika, showing a sumo wrestling match. Look at these figures, with their bulbous and exaggerated forms, all rendered with such energy and humor. I love thinking about the artist making this, carving the lines into the wood, carefully applying the colors, and then seeing the image emerge on the paper. It's a real back-and-forth, kind of like painting. I wonder what Kiyochika was thinking as he was making this? Was he laughing to himself? And look at that central wrestler, straining and sweating. The thin lines create a real sense of volume and movement, as if these guys could burst right out of the frame. It reminds me that artists are always riffing off one another, even across time and cultures. This print makes me think of Hogarth or Gillray, all those satirical prints poking fun at society. It's like they're all in this big conversation, inspiring and pushing each other.