The Suicide of Two Foreign Clerks 1875

Tsukioka Yoshitoshi created “The Suicide of Two Foreign Clerks” as a woodblock print, a process involving carving an image into a wooden block, inking it, and then pressing paper against it. Woodblock printing wasn't just a technique; it was a cultural industry, a way to mass-produce images for a growing urban audience. Here, the artist depicts a rather gruesome scene with two men amidst smoke and scattered cargo. The dramatic intensity is heightened by the flat planes of color and bold outlines, typical of the ukiyo-e style. It’s a scene of violence, but rendered with the clean lines and stylized forms of a craft tradition. Consider the labor involved: the artist's design, the carver's skill, and the printer's precision. This print is not just an artwork; it's a commodity, produced within a system of workshops, publishers, and consumers. It’s a reminder that art doesn't exist in a vacuum. It's intertwined with the social, economic, and political forces of its time.