Saginoike Heikurō Fishing 1865

Tsukioka Yoshitoshi's "Saginoike Heikurō Fishing" was created in the late 19th century using woodblock printing, a process deeply embedded in Japanese craft traditions and commercial culture. The technique involves carving a design into a block of wood, applying ink, and then pressing it onto paper. Notice how the lines are clean and sharp. Woodblock printing relies on meticulous handwork, with specialist artisans needed to carve the blocks, apply the colors, and print the final image. The texture of the wood is apparent in the print. The prevalence of ukiyo-e, or "pictures of the floating world," was related to the rise of a merchant class and a consumer culture. Woodblock prints satisfied a demand for affordable art, creating a visual record of actors, courtesans, and popular tales. The very essence of the artwork lies in the labor-intensive processes that brought it into being, challenging any strict division between high art and craft.