Portrait of Hiroshige 

This color woodblock print portrays the artist Hiroshige and was made by Utagawa Kunisada in 19th-century Japan. It’s interesting to consider what the production and popularity of such images tells us about Japanese society at the time. Woodblock prints like this one were not simply artistic creations, but also commodities within a complex economic system. Kunisada, as the artist, collaborated with publishers, block cutters, and printers to create images for a growing urban audience. The detailed rendering of Hiroshige’s features, clothing, and accoutrements, speaks to the rising status of artists in Japanese society and the growth of a market for celebrity portraits. The text in the upper left corner and left side of the image testifies to the importance of the written word in the creation of meaning for Japanese society. To better understand this print, we can research the Edo period, printmaking techniques, and the economics of the art market in Japan. In doing so we can see how artistic production is not just a matter of individual genius, but a reflection of social and institutional forces.