The Actor Arashi Rikaku II as Isogai Tōsuke, from the series Lives of Men who Carried Out Revenge for Loyalty or Filial Piety 1848

Hasegawa Sadanobu produced this woodblock print of the actor Arashi Rikaku II in 1850. It belongs to a series dedicated to men who avenged loyalty or filial piety. Woodblock prints like this one, also known as ukiyo-e, were not made by lone artists toiling away. Instead, they were the product of a complex division of labor. The artist created the original design, but then highly skilled block carvers transferred that design onto a series of woodblocks, one for each color. A printer then applied the colors in sequence, carefully aligning each block to create the final image. The vibrant colors and crisp lines we see here are a testament to the expertise of these artisans. The final print, though produced through a system of specialized labor, was far more accessible to the public than a painting and could be collected and enjoyed by a wide audience. It collapses any hierarchy between art and craft.