A Practical Joke 1772 - 1792

This print, *A Practical Joke*, was made by Torii Kiyonaga, using woodblocks and colored inks. While seemingly simple, the production of ukiyo-e prints like this one was incredibly labor intensive. First, the artist created a black-and-white drawing. This was then painstakingly transferred to a woodblock by specialist artisans, who carved away the negative space. Separate blocks were created for each color, and then carefully aligned when printing to create the final image. The soft lines and subtle gradations of color give the impression of serenity and calm. Yet behind this image is a regimented workshop system, with highly skilled laborers producing images for mass consumption. In this context, we might consider how Kiyonaga’s work embodies a tension between the aesthetics of leisure and the realities of production and consumption in 18th-century Japan. By paying attention to materials, making, and context, we can more fully understand the meaning of this work.