Nakamura Theater c. 1811 - 1814

Editor: This is Utagawa Kunisada's "Nakamura Theater," a woodblock print from around the mid-19th century, held at the Harvard Art Museums. It's fascinating to see the behind-the-scenes life of the theater depicted. What does the materiality of the printmaking process suggest to you about the wider cultural context? Curator: The very nature of Utagawa Kunisada's woodblock print, a relatively inexpensive and reproducible medium, speaks to the rise of a consumer culture. How does mass production shift our understanding of art's role and value? Editor: That makes me think about how this print would have been circulated. It's interesting to consider how its accessibility contrasts with more elite art forms. Curator: Precisely. The print connects directly to the economy, labor and the social life of the time. This wasn't just art for art's sake; it was interwoven with daily existence. Editor: It shows a new perspective about the artwork, seeing it as part of the social production of art. Curator: Exactly, we see how art is never created in a vacuum, and the means of its production are deeply meaningful.