The Chōfu Jewel River in Musashi Province c. 1835

Utagawa Hiroshige’s “The Chōfu Jewel River in Musashi Province” is a woodblock print, a medium deeply rooted in Japanese history and culture. The process begins with a drawing, which is then meticulously carved into a block of wood, usually cherry. Ink is applied, and paper laid on the block to receive the impression. In this work, the lines are crisp, each one carefully rendered to convey form and texture. Note how the flowing water is depicted with dynamic curves, while the woman's robes and the willow tree are given delicate detail. The texture of the paper itself becomes integral to the artwork, interacting with the ink to create subtle variations in tone and depth. Woodblock printing was not just a craft, but a collaborative industry, involving artists, carvers, printers, and publishers. These images, mass-produced, circulated widely and shaped perceptions of landscape and everyday life, reflecting the socio-economic realities of their time, where labor and production were central to the circulation of images and ideas.