Courtisane een hoveling imiterend. 1795 - 1800

This print, *Courtesan Imitating a Courtier,* was made by Kitagawa Utamaro, probably in the 1790s, using woodblock printing. This process, like any form of printmaking, demands precise labor; the image is first carved in wood, and then multiple colors are applied in separate layers. Look closely and you can see the outlines where each block meets the next. In Japan, printmaking had become a sophisticated industry, with specialized workshops for each stage, from drawing and carving to printing. In this particular case, the materiality really matters. It is essential to understand how the flat, graphic quality of the print is so different than a unique painting, precisely because of the collaborative and essentially commercial nature of its production. The soft colors, the careful registration, the stylized representation of the figures - all of these qualities were achieved through intensive, repetitive work. Paying attention to materials and making helps us understand the place of this image in Japanese society, and challenges the traditional divide between art and craft.