No. 18, Okitsu: Shiohama, Kiyomigaseki, from the series The Tōkaidō Road, The Fifty-three Stations (Tōkaidō, GojÅ«san tsugi no uchi) 

Editor: Here we have Utagawa Hiroshige's "No. 18, Okitsu: Shiohama, Kiyomigaseki," from "The Fifty-three Stations of the Tōkaidō." It's a captivating landscape; what strikes me is how the artist uses the foreground figures against the vast backdrop. What do you see in this piece? Curator: I am drawn to the production and distribution networks that allowed such prints to circulate widely. Consider the labor involved in carving the woodblocks, mixing the pigments, and printing each impression. These processes mirror the socio-economic flow along the Tōkaidō Road itself, a vital artery of commerce and cultural exchange. How does that shift your thinking about it? Editor: That's fascinating. It makes me consider the print as a commodity, reflecting the economic realities of 19th-century Japan. Thanks! Curator: Indeed. Viewing it through the lens of production reveals the intricate connections between art, labor, and consumption in that era.