Title unknown [Woman with green and white fan] c. 1910 - 1939

This is a woodblock print by Takehisa Yumeji, who died in 1934. The image shows a woman holding a fan, rendered with delicate lines and flat planes of color. Woodblock printing is an old technique, requiring a painstaking transfer of the image onto a block of wood, from which multiple impressions can then be made. Here, the artist used this method to create a portrait of refined simplicity. The fan and willow branches suggest a specific cultural context, one of leisure and contemplation. The visible wood grain adds texture, and the subtle variations in color contribute to the print's distinctive aesthetic. This wasn't simply a matter of mechanization. The impressions would have been made by hand, and each print has a subtly unique quality as a result. By considering both the image and the labor involved, we can understand the woodblock print as both a beautiful object and a testament to the skill of its maker. And that’s an important step toward dissolving the old hierarchy that placed fine art above craft.