Woman Entertaining Her Guest with New Year Wine 1757 - 1820

Kubo Shunman created this woodblock print entitled, "Woman Entertaining Her Guest with New Year Wine," in Japan sometime between the late 1700s and early 1800s. The print is made using multiple blocks, each carrying a different color, adding layers of complexity to the final image. Consider how the materials, like the paper and the inks, influence the artwork's appearance. The thinness of the paper allows light to penetrate, giving the print a delicate quality, while the inks, likely derived from natural sources, offer a muted palette. The process itself—the careful carving of the woodblocks and the precise application of ink—speaks to a culture deeply invested in craft. Woodblock printing was a laborious but reproducible medium. While the artist conceived the image, the actual printing would have been done by skilled artisans, highlighting a division of labor. This commercial aspect is important; these prints were not unique artworks but items of wider consumption, blurring the lines between art and commodity. Ultimately, understanding Shunman’s work requires considering the materials, the methods of production, and its place within a broader social and economic context.