Sakata Kintoki Wrestling with a Tengu c. 1715 - 1718

Artist: Here at the Art Institute of Chicago, we have "Sakata Kintoki Wrestling with a Tengu" by Torii Kiyomasu I, made sometime between 1715 and 1718. Isn’t it vibrant? What leaps out at you? Curator: The sheer physicality of it all. Those figures are so intertwined. It feels less like a serene composition and more like a scuffle caught mid-frame. I can almost feel the strain in their muscles. But I wonder, what kind of paper, what quality of woodblocks were they using back then to make these prints? Artist: It’s Ukiyo-e, you know, pictures of the floating world! Think about it. Kintoki is this legendary strongman—basically a folk hero—and the Tengu is a mountain spirit, a bit of a trickster. Maybe it's about grappling with the unknown. It's got a sense of humor, that boisterous energy. It feels timeless, really, even if its materials aren’t. Curator: Exactly. And these woodcut prints weren't necessarily intended as high art. They were advertising posters, theatre bills. Accessible, reproducible, and disseminated widely. Not exactly luxury commodities for the elite. We need to remember that these prints were cheap, they democratized art in a way! The process reveals as much about society as the myth. How many of these did they make? And who was employed to cut the blocks, to grind the inks? What were their lives like? Artist: See, and for me, knowing it’s Ukiyo-e adds another layer. I look at Kintoki’s face and wonder if that ferocity is covering some sort of insecurity. Is this print capturing something about aspiration or proving oneself? Curator: You’re right, beyond the immediate process, that inherent duality within the Ukiyo-e prints themselves, they were of the moment, capturing current culture, and yet mythologizing characters. That mass consumption and inherent impermanence makes these works endlessly fascinating. Artist: Absolutely. So next time, will I see you wrestling with one of these? Curator: If you can guarantee it uses interesting paper.