Drinking Sake at a Housewarming Party (Takubiraki shuen no zu) 1863

Editor: Toyohara Kunichika’s woodblock print "Drinking Sake at a Housewarming Party," made in 1863, depicts a gathering of people, perhaps performers or artists, sitting together. The flattened perspective and strong patterns on their clothing are very striking to me. What are your initial impressions, looking at this print? Curator: From a formal perspective, it presents a fascinating study in contrasts. The dynamism of the figures is counterposed by the static quality of the ground, for example. Look at the compositional elements; the clustering of figures directs our eye to the various planes within this image. Do you see how Kunichika-san utilizes overlapping forms? Editor: I see how they create a sense of depth, despite the print's overall flatness. Also, what do you make of the inscriptions throughout the artwork? Curator: These inscriptions—akin to textual planes—introduce further layers of structural complexity and create almost an internal grid alongside the perspectival structure established by the gathering of figures. What do they signify, in relation to what is visually depicted, how does that juxtaposition create a different experience for the viewer? Editor: That is an insightful point about internal grids! Now I am interested to compare that organizational device with other Japanese prints. Curator: The woodblock print medium itself, with its precise lines and block of colours, contributes significantly to the work's structure and symbolic depth, as we begin to decode those patterns. So it becomes more intricate. Editor: Yes! Looking through this formal lens really helped me appreciate the print on a completely new level! Curator: Agreed. By considering Kunichika-san’s piece in terms of its visual arrangement and deployment of graphical elements, a fuller appreciation emerges.