The Actor Ichikawa Komazo II Holding a Smoking Pipe 1762 - 1819

Katsukawa Shun'ei created this woodblock print of the actor Ichikawa Komazo II in eighteenth-century Japan. Woodblock printing is a relief process, where the image is carved into a block of wood, then inked and pressed onto paper. The flat planes of color and crisp outlines are characteristic of this technique, and the way the ink sits on the paper gives the print a tactile quality. The print is more than just an image, it's an object made through skilled labor, connecting the artist, carvers, and printers who collaborate to produce these images. Consider the social context. Woodblock prints like this were relatively affordable, making them accessible to a wide audience. They captured popular actors and scenes from Kabuki theater, reflecting the tastes and interests of the urban middle class. The print becomes a record of its time, documenting both the artistry of the actor and the craft of printmaking. Looking at this print reminds us that art is not just about the image but the materials, the making, and the social world in which it exists.