Chōfu [Jewel River] in Musashi Province c. 1850s

Editor: This is "Chōfu [Jewel River] in Musashi Province," a woodblock print by Utagawa Hiroshige, from around the 1850s. I'm immediately drawn to the woman depicted and her labor of carrying laundry. It makes me wonder, what can we read about daily life at that time through the printmaking? Curator: What's interesting to me is the commercial aspect, and thus how the process influences the art. Hiroshige didn’t actually pull these prints himself; artisans carved the woodblocks and printed the final image, an image reproduced for a mass audience, thus democratizing art in a way. The quality of the print run directly affected the perceived value and subsequent consumption of these images, no? Editor: Absolutely. So, thinking about materials – the paper, ink, wood – how readily available and costly would these have been, impacting the final price? Curator: Precisely. The type of wood used for the blocks, the source and quality of the pigments for the inks, the paper's texture and absorbency – these material factors dictate the detail, vibrancy, and longevity of the print. These things also impact how easily accessible the print would be. Was it for the wealthy or the middle-class merchant? Editor: That shifts my focus – from simply appreciating the image to considering the economic factors of art production at the time. It is interesting to see what can be determined about labor in the means of the prints, even when it depicts labor itself. Curator: And consider, these prints themselves often depict scenes of everyday labor and life. Ukiyo-e was so popular due to it mirroring consumerist society. Mass production makes these beautiful and intimate images from Japanese society accessible. What a contrast! Editor: This completely transforms my perception of the piece. I now appreciate how the materials and production methods directly influence the image and its reach within society. Curator: Exactly! Examining the "how" illuminates the "why."