Narumi c. 1832 - 1833

This print, “Narumi,” was made by Utagawa Hiroshige in nineteenth-century Japan, using woodblocks and multiple colors of ink on paper. The process of making these prints was highly collaborative, involving not only the artist who designed the image, but also specialist wood carvers and printers. The materials themselves – wood, paper, and ink – have a wonderful relationship. The inks rest on the surface of the paper, while the woodblocks create a subtle relief effect. Look closely, and you can almost feel the texture of the wood grain. The production process also had a profound impact on the image, with the division of labor organized around a complex publishing industry. Although we might think of Hiroshige as a lone genius, he was deeply embedded in a network of making and distribution. This challenges our preconceptions of art history, and reminds us that even the most beautiful images are the result of collective skill, labor, and the wider economics of artistic production.