Tree and Rocks in Circular Fan Shape -- Illustration from the Ten Bamboo Studio Manual of Calligraphy and Painting (Shizhuzhai shuhua pu) before 1703

Editor: This is "Tree and Rocks in Circular Fan Shape" by Hu Zhengyan, a woodblock print. It’s incredibly delicate. What strikes you about it? Curator: The "Ten Bamboo Studio Manual" democratized art production. Note the layering of color blocks – it was a revolutionary printing technique making art accessible beyond the elite. Editor: So, it's less about individual genius and more about the means of production? Curator: Precisely! The value lies not only in the image, but in the craft and its potential for wider consumption, challenging traditional notions of artistic value. Editor: That's fascinating; I hadn't considered the printing process itself as a statement. Curator: Indeed. It makes you rethink "originality," doesn’t it?