Picture Book Sumida River A Glance of Both Shores (Ehon Sumida gawa ryogan ichiran), Vol. 1 

Curator: Katsushika Hokusai, born in 1760, is believed to have created this woodblock print from "Picture Book Sumida River A Glance of Both Shores, Vol. 1". The pages are quite small, roughly 25 x 17.8 centimeters. Editor: The use of woodblocks to create such detail is impressive. Look at the textures in the water and stone, and the delicacy of the figures, it almost feels like textile design. Curator: These images highlight the Sumida River as a center of commerce and leisure during the Edo period, showing how integral the river was to the socio-economic fabric of the city. Editor: And observe the labor involved in creating the print itself; from carving the blocks to the pigments used, a craft deeply embedded in its context. Curator: These prints were aimed at a growing urban audience, a testament to a changing market for art and literature and a newly enfranchised class of consumer. Editor: Absolutely, seeing how materials and skill combine to depict everyday life provides a fascinating insight into the values of this society.