Double-page Illustration from Vol. 2 of "Picture Book of Spring Brocades (Ehon haru no nishiki)" 1771

This double-page illustration, made by Suzuki Harunobu around the 18th century, comes from a woodblock-printed book. The lines are clean and crisp, and the colors bright, because the artist carefully carved the image into blocks, allowing the printmakers to apply ink and transfer the image onto paper. Consider the labor involved in this process, requiring precision and skill. Woodblock printing was a commercial practice, and ukiyo-e prints like these were produced for a growing urban audience. The image shows two women by a window, and a landscape with a waterfall and the moon in the background. The scene is charming, but also reflects the social structure of its time, where leisure and beauty were commodities available to those with means. By focusing on the materiality and production of this print, we gain a deeper understanding of its cultural significance, challenging our ideas of art and craft, high and low.