A Man with a Boy and a Geisha Visiting the Kinryusan Temple 1777 - 1797

This print, A Man with a Boy and a Geisha Visiting the Kinryusan Temple, was made by Torii Kiyonaga, using woodblock printing. This intricate process involves carving an image into a block of wood, inking it, and then pressing paper onto the block to transfer the image. Look closely and you can appreciate how the material qualities of wood influence the final appearance. The grain of the wood affects the texture and the precision of the carving defines the lines and shapes in the print. Color in woodblock prints is applied using separate blocks for each color, requiring careful registration to align the different colored areas. Woodblock printing was a key industry during the Edo period in Japan and deeply tied to wider social issues of labor, politics, and consumption. The process involved the collaboration of artists, carvers, printers, and publishers, each playing a crucial role in the production. Woodblock prints allowed for the mass production of images, making art more accessible to a wider audience. Considering the materials, making, and context is vital to understanding the full meaning of the artwork.