BEGONIA FLOWERS AND A SNAIL c. 19th century

Editor: This is "Begonia Flowers and a Snail" by Utagawa Hiroshige, created with paper. It feels so delicate! What do you notice about the materials and techniques used here? Curator: The woodblock print process itself is key. The labor involved, the carving, the multiple impressions… it speaks to a wider system of production and consumption in Edo-period Japan. Consider the paper, too. What kind of material access did Hiroshige have? Editor: So, even a seemingly simple image reveals a complex social and economic story? Curator: Exactly! It challenges the idea of the solitary artistic genius. It's all about the means of production. Editor: I never thought about it that way; it's really about labor and materials. Curator: Precisely!