The Actor Iwai Hanshiro IV as Yaegushi no Oroku (?) in the Play Keisei Kogane no Hakarime (?), Performed at the Kawarazaki Theater (?) in the Third Month, 1792 (?) c. 1792

Editor: This woodblock print by Katsukawa Shun'ei, circa 1792, depicts the actor Iwai Hanshiro IV. The materiality of the printmaking process, the woodblock itself, seems particularly important here. What's your take on it? Curator: Looking at this ukiyo-e print through a materialist lens brings forward questions about its production and consumption. Woodblock printing was a highly skilled, collaborative craft. We need to consider the labor involved. The carvers, the printers – their skill and the means of production available in 18th-century Japan were crucial. How does thinking about the multiple hands involved change your understanding of Shun'ei's "authorship"? Editor: It makes me think about the wider accessibility of these prints. They weren't unique objects, like paintings. Does the fact it's a print influence how we perceive it? Curator: Exactly. Ukiyo-e prints like this one were mass-produced for a growing urban audience. The image becomes a commodity, intertwined with popular culture and commercial exchange. Consider the actors depicted, like Iwai Hanshiro IV. His image was being sold, consumed, and reproduced, elevating his status and contributing to the vibrant world of Kabuki theater. What does the image's context and distribution tell us? Editor: I hadn’t considered it that way, seeing it almost as a form of early celebrity endorsement via reproducible media. It definitely adds another dimension! Curator: Precisely! And analyzing the materials and methods involved reveals a complex interplay between artistry, labor, commerce, and social life. We can better understand this image through this approach. Editor: I am learning so much. Viewing it as a commodity provides insight into its cultural value and distribution in society. Curator: It makes me reflect upon the role of the artist within a system.