Voorbereidingen van de feestelijkheden 1804

Kitagawa Utamaro made this woodblock print, sometime before his death in 1806. It gives us a peek into the meticulous preparations for a celebration. The printmaking process itself is key here. Utamaro would have begun with a drawing, carefully transferred to a woodblock. Skilled artisans then carved away the negative space, leaving the lines and shapes to be printed. Each color required a separate block, demanding precise registration. We can almost feel the pressure of the baren, the tool used to rub the paper against the inked block, bringing the image to life. Look closely, and you'll notice the flat planes of color, the delicate lines defining the figures, the subtle variations in tone achieved through layering inks. The labor-intensive nature of this process elevates the everyday—the careful arrangement of flowers, the folding of garments—into a moment of quiet beauty, making visible the hidden efforts that underpin the pleasures of life. It reminds us of the value of skilled hands in creating and celebrating beauty.