Twee mannen onder een gordijn c. 1824

This print of two men beneath a curtain was made by Utagawa Kunisada using woodblock printing, a process deeply embedded in the culture of Edo-period Japan. The process of making these prints involved a close collaboration between the artist, who designed the image; the carver, who translated that design into a series of wooden blocks; and the printer, who applied ink and pressed the blocks onto paper. Each color required a separate block, demanding precision and skill. Look closely at the lines and textures. You can see the marks of the carver's tools. These processes were supported by a whole economy of papermakers and ink producers. Woodblock prints were relatively inexpensive and widely accessible; the mode of artistic production democratized art. When we consider the materials and making of this print, we recognize the deep intertwining of art, craft, and commerce. Woodblock printing, far from being simply a reproductive technique, was a vibrant practice, integral to the social and economic fabric of its time.