Women and Children Viewing the Cherry Blossoms at Gotenyama 1777 - 1797

Katsukawa Shunchō’s triptych shows women and children viewing the cherry blossoms at Gotenyama, and was made sometime in the late 1700s, using woodblock printmaking. The process begins with a drawing, which is then transferred onto a woodblock, usually cherry. Using specialized carving tools, the key lines of the design are carefully incised. This creates a template for printing. Each color requires a separate block, and this print has many, so it involved intense and meticulous labor. The materiality of the paper also contributes to the print’s effect. Thin and absorbent, it allows the colors to appear translucent and luminous. Woodblock printing was closely tied to commercial culture, as prints like these were relatively affordable and could be widely distributed. The image’s beauty is inseparable from the labor and materials that went into its making, reminding us that even seemingly simple works of art are the product of complex social and economic forces.