Gifts of the Ebb Tide (Shiohi no tsuto) Possibly 1789

Editor: This is "Gifts of the Ebb Tide" by Kitagawa Utamaro, a mid-Edo period woodblock print. I notice the figures are carefully rendered but also seem part of a larger landscape, and I'm curious about the artist's process. What can you tell me about it? Curator: This work's social context is important. Utamaro was part of a burgeoning consumer culture. Woodblock prints were not 'high art' but commercial products, relying on the labor of artisans. How does knowing that affect your understanding? Editor: It makes me rethink the preciousness of the image. It's beautiful, but also manufactured. Curator: Exactly! The materials – the wood, the ink, the paper – speak to a whole system of production and consumption, not just individual genius. Editor: I see what you mean. Thinking about the labor involved adds another layer to appreciate it.