Drawing of a tengu 

This is a drawing of a Tengu made by Katsushika Hokusai. The work is most likely produced as a woodblock print, or *ukiyo-e*, a process involving multiple artisans. It starts with the artist's drawing, and then a carver cuts the image into a block, and a printer transfers the image onto paper. This division of labor made prints available to a wide audience. The linear quality we see here is a consequence of this process. The *Tengu*, a sword-wielding bird-like creature, bursts forth through layers of precisely carved lines, creating a dynamic sense of texture and depth. These types of prints were inexpensive and immensely popular. The *ukiyo-e* tradition reflects the aesthetics and values of the rising merchant class. Considering its wide distribution, its themes and affordability, woodblock prints blurred the lines between fine art and craft, and high and low culture.