The Eighth Month (Hachi gatsu), from the series "Fashionable Twelve Months (Furyu junikagetsu)" c. 1793

This print, entitled ‘The Eighth Month’, was created by Utagawa Toyokuni I as part of his series ‘Fashionable Twelve Months’. It's a woodblock print, made by carving a design into a block of wood, applying ink, and pressing paper against it. The process of creating woodblock prints requires meticulous labor, with different blocks carved for each color. The precision of the lines and the subtle gradations of color speak to the skill of the artisans involved. The image reflects a contemporary taste for leisure and fashion. The woman, perhaps a courtesan or a fashionable city dweller, is depicted playing a shamisen, a three-stringed musical instrument. The materials of her kimono, the arrangement of flowers, and the elegant setting all point to a culture of refinement and consumption. In its time, this print was both an artwork, and a commodity, produced and circulated within a thriving urban economy. Thinking about this context helps us to appreciate the rich social and economic dimensions of the artwork, blurring the line between high art and popular culture.