Dragon ascending Mount Fuji 

Katsushika Hokusai’s woodblock print depicts a dragon ascending Mount Fuji, rendered with ink and colors on paper. This wasn't just art; it was a product of a sophisticated, labor-intensive system. Woodblock printing involved carving a design into wood, inking it, and then pressing paper onto the block to transfer the image. Hokusai worked collaboratively with block cutters and printers, skilled artisans in their own right. The lines in this print, especially in the dragon's scales and Mount Fuji's contours, testify to the carver's skill, translating Hokusai's vision into a repeatable form. The texture and tone achieved through the layering of ink reveal the printer's expertise. This print wasn't just an image, but a manufactured object, available for popular consumption. This speaks to broader issues of labor, skill, and the commercialization of art in 19th-century Japan. Considering the print in terms of materials and making challenges the idea that it's simply a beautiful image. It's a testament to human ingenuity, collaboration, and the complex relationship between art, craft, and commerce.