Album of Thirty Actor Prints 1800 - 1865

This album of actor prints was produced by Utagawa Kunisada, who was active in Japan throughout the first half of the 19th century. It is a woodblock print, a technique known as *ukiyo-e*. The process begins with a drawing, which is then carefully transferred to a block of wood – usually cherry. Using chisels and knives, the key lines are painstakingly carved, leaving a raised matrix. Ink is then applied, and paper laid on the block to receive the impression. For a multicoloured print like this one, a separate block is required for each colour. Look closely, and you’ll notice that the lines are crisp, the colours bright, and the registration exact. But this wasn’t just down to Kunisada’s skill. To meet the demand for these prints, publishers and artists employed teams of highly skilled block cutters and printers. *Ukiyo-e* then, was a collaborative, and in some ways industrial, process. It's a reminder that even seemingly ‘traditional’ art forms often depend on sophisticated systems of labour and commerce.