"Rocks" Volume of the Ten Bamboo Studio Manual of Calligraphy and Painting (Shizhuzhai shuhua pu) c. 18th century

Curator: Editor: This is Hu Zhengyan’s "Rocks" from the Ten Bamboo Studio Manual, a woodblock print. It feels so simple, almost like a diagram. What am I missing? Curator: The manual itself is a political statement. Woodblock printing allowed for wider dissemination of art and ideas, challenging the elite’s control over artistic knowledge. Editor: So, the medium itself democratizes art? Curator: Exactly! And rocks, like these, weren't just rocks. They were symbols of endurance, stability, and the scholar's inner world, circulating widely. Editor: I hadn’t thought about it that way. Seeing it as a tool for sharing art changes everything. Curator: Precisely! It redefines our understanding of art’s role in society.