Bodhisattva No. 4 

John Melville Kelly made this color woodblock print, titled "Bodhisattva No. 4," sometime in the early 20th century. The printmaking process has everything to do with the image's inherent qualities. With Japanese tools and techniques, Kelly carved the design into multiple woodblocks, each carrying a different color. These were then carefully inked and pressed onto paper, one after the other, building up layers of tone and texture. Look closely, and you can see the subtle grain of the wood in the print, softened by the artist’s meticulous hand. Woodblock printing has a long history, used to produce everything from religious images to advertisements. As an inherently reproducible medium, printmaking democratizes image-making and invites mass consumption. Kelly’s "Bodhisattva No. 4" stands at an interesting intersection of craft, design, and spirituality. Paying attention to materials, making, and context, we can understand the full meaning of an artwork, challenging distinctions between fine art and craft.