Hall of Thirty-Three Bays, Fukagawa (Fukagawa SanjÅ«sangendō), Number 69 from the series One Hundred Famous Views of Edo (Meisho Edo hyakkei) Possibly 1857 - 1858

Editor: This is Utagawa Hiroshige's woodblock print, "Hall of Thirty-Three Bays, Fukagawa," from his "One Hundred Famous Views of Edo" series. The strong diagonal composition is striking. What can you tell me about the materiality and production of this print? Curator: The materiality speaks volumes. The woodblock printing process, the pigments chosen, and the paper itself all reveal the methods of production and consumption in Edo period Japan. How does the mass production of these prints affect our understanding of "high art" versus craft? Editor: That's interesting, I hadn't considered the social implications of a reproducible art form. It challenges the idea of art as a unique, inaccessible object. Curator: Precisely. The print's accessibility allowed for wider cultural dissemination. The choice of imagery, the depiction of everyday life, even the way it was sold and distributed, tells us about the social fabric of Edo. I wonder, does understanding the process change your initial perception? Editor: It definitely does. Knowing it's a mass-produced item makes me think about its role in shaping popular perceptions of Edo at the time. Thank you. Curator: And reflecting on its process helps us avoid romanticizing the past, and keeps us grounded in the material realities of its production. A valuable lesson.