May Evening on Kudanzaka 1880

Kobayashi Kiyochika made this print using the woodblock technique, a process integral to the development of Japanese art during the Edo and Meiji periods. Looking closely, you see how the carved woodblocks and their impressions define the image. Notice the individual marks that create the falling rain, and the solid color blocks used for the night sky and reflections on the wet ground. Each color required a separate block, painstakingly carved and aligned. This labor-intensive process speaks to a pre-industrial mode of production. The level of skill required to produce these images was very high, which meant that artists would need to work under master craftsmen for years to acquire such skills. The composition, with its Western-style perspective, hints at the social context: Japan opening up to the world and grappling with modernity. By paying attention to these materials and making processes, we move beyond just seeing the image, and start to understand the complex cultural and social forces at play.