Hoofdstuk 42

This print, titled Hoofdstuk 42, was made by Utagawa Kunisada, sometime before 1865, using woodblock printing. The smooth, uniform color of the green tatami floor and purple wall hanging belie the intensive labor involved in making woodblock prints. Each color required a separate block, carefully carved. Then, each layer of pigment had to be precisely applied in turn. This division of labor, requiring the coordination of designers, carvers, printers, and publishers, was essential to meeting the high demand for Utagawa’s images. There’s a tension here. The image celebrates the leisure of the upper classes. Yet, it depended on the hard work of artisans and the mechanisms of early capitalism. By attending to the materials and making of this print, we gain a deeper understanding of its social context, challenging any rigid distinction between fine art and craft.