Kabuki Actor Sakata Hangorō III as Kosodate Kannonbō 1794

This print, by Tōshūsai Sharaku, shows Kabuki actor Sakata Hangorō III, and it was made using woodblock printing, a technique known as Ukiyo-e, which flourished in Japan. Look closely, and you'll notice the stark contrast between the solid black of the actor's robe and the subtle gradations in the background. The way these prints were made is fascinating: each color required a separate block, carved meticulously by hand. The final image is built up layer by layer, through patient labor. Prints like this were not considered high art. They were popular images for the masses, almost like a form of advertising for the Kabuki theatre, and existed within a lively culture of commerce and consumption. The beauty of Ukiyo-e resides not only in the image itself, but also in the way the wood shapes the final product, blurring the boundaries between the commercial and the artistic.