Print 1800 - 1865

Editor: Here we have Kunisada’s “Print,” created sometime between 1800 and 1865. The work is a woodblock print and feels distinctly Japanese to me. I am intrigued by the textures of the kimono and the expression of the subject. What stands out to you most about this piece? Curator: For me, the allure lies in understanding the means of its creation and circulation. Consider the sheer labor invested in a woodblock print of this scale during that period. The carving, the inking, the registration of colors - it speaks volumes about the structure of workshops, the skills honed over generations, and the intended consumer. Editor: Consumer? I hadn't thought of it that way. Curator: Ukiyo-e, “pictures of the floating world,” were mass-produced. Not *mass* produced by our standards, but readily available commodities catering to a specific urban class. Look closely at the layering of color and the keyblock's impression; these reveal the artisanal labor concealed behind its aesthetic appeal. The print relies on a production and economic context. What are your thoughts on the composition within the rectangle itself? Does that alter its value, do you think? Editor: It does shift things... knowing that this was a commercially produced object shifts my perception of it. Before I saw the human labor in the image, but now I think I am appreciating the layers that were involved to even produce the original artwork! Curator: Exactly. Appreciate, therefore, that we aren't only looking at a picture but a product of its socio-economic moment; this enriches our understanding far beyond aesthetic judgements alone. It allows us to contemplate how consumption and production shaped cultural representation. Editor: This is fascinating. I initially saw a portrait, but now I see a confluence of labor, skill, and consumption – a snapshot of a world beyond the purely visual. Thank you for shedding light on these perspectives.