No. 38 1902

Otake Etsudō made this print, No. 38, sometime between the late 19th and early 20th centuries. There’s such a calm, process-led feel to the work, especially in the treatment of color and mark making. I love how the artist uses thin, washy layers of ink to build up the image. See the kimono, it’s patterned but almost dissolves into the background. The colour palette is muted, almost dreamlike, but the artist uses bold lines for the water which creates a fascinating contrast. Look at the branches in the upper right, they’re so delicately rendered, almost floating on the surface of the grey background. The little details, like the red seal and the soft pinks in the lantern, are really exquisite. This piece reminds me of the work of Utagawa Hiroshige, particularly in the way he captured the beauty of nature and everyday life. There is something about printmaking, the way that artists like Otake and Hiroshige approached it, that opens up so many possibilities. It's about embracing the accidental, the unexpected, and recognizing the value of each individual mark.