Eijiri 1906

Curator: Just look at the layering of colours in this work. The gradations, particularly in the water, speak volumes about the printmaking process. Editor: It's striking, isn't it? The serene composition almost disguises the complex historical reality of the Tokaido Road. It's so picturesque and peaceful. Curator: Well, this is "Eijiri" from 1906, by Utagawa Hiroshige, part of his series "Fifty-three Stations of the Tokaido," currently held in the Rijksmuseum. It's a woodblock print, so you can immediately think about the labor involved. Editor: And the standardization! Hiroshige's "Fifty-three Stations" practically codified the visual experience of travel in Japan. Did the democratization of landscape imagery affect local perceptions of places? Did seeing these pictures inspire new levels of national pride? Curator: Certainly the rise of woodblock prints coincides with shifts in social power, making art more accessible. And his masterful technique— look closely at how he layers color within the sky. Each block, painstakingly carved, had to align perfectly. Consider the physical effort of repeated printings, the ink’s composition, and the paper’s weave... Editor: True. But, going back to access: Prints like this changed how the merchant class and, arguably, the masses, conceived of travel and landscape. What did owning this print symbolize to people in the early 20th century? The exotic? A reminder of leisure that only some could experience? Curator: Possibly a reflection of the artist's keen understanding of his market too! Editor: And thinking about its accessibility, mass appeal, and influence across class...it truly altered popular understandings of travel and landscape in Japanese society and beyond! Curator: Yes, and appreciating the layers both in imagery and production really underscores the complexity inherent to something that at first glance looks quite simple. Editor: Exactly, which allows me to examine the public role this and other such images may have played in solidifying socio-political understanding. It is an opportunity to really explore the political reach this print possessed.