Housecleaning (Susuhaki) c. 1797 - 1799

Editor: This is "Housecleaning (Susuhaki)" by Kitagawa Utamaro, a woodblock print from the late Edo period. I am fascinated by the depiction of everyday labor. What can you tell me about the materials and production of this print? Curator: Notice how the woodblock printing technique allows for a mass production of these images and consequently a wider distribution and consumption. This work challenges the traditional hierarchy that often separates "high art" from the "craft" of printing. Editor: So the value lies not just in the image but also in the context of its creation? Curator: Exactly. It urges us to consider the social and economic forces at play in its making and circulation. These materials and means of production offer insight into labor practices and consumer culture of the Edo period. Editor: I never thought of it that way! It makes me appreciate how much information is embedded in the materiality of art. Curator: Precisely. It shifts our focus from aesthetics alone to the broader material and social network in which art exists.