Sea Breams c. 1830s

Editor: Here we have Utagawa Hiroshige's "Sea Breams" from around 1830. It’s a beautiful woodblock print, full of incredibly delicate lines, particularly in the scales of the fish. The detail is stunning, and I am immediately drawn to its tranquil nature, in a way, given it's just dead fish! What are your thoughts? Curator: Interesting point about their "deadness". These aren't just depictions of fish, but commodities. How does the printmaking process itself, a method of mass production even in the 1830s, influence how we view these "sea breams?" Are they elevated, or made more commonplace? Consider how the artist's labor and the availability of materials like the woodblock and inks affect the perceived value. Editor: That’s a good point! Thinking about the materials… the choice of a print, a repeatable medium, feels significant, especially in the context of Ukiyo-e. It democratizes the image, making it accessible. But is it still ‘art’ if its essentially manufactured? Curator: Precisely. The tension lies in challenging the traditional boundaries between high art and craft. This work raises the question of labor. Someone carved those blocks and made countless prints of them. The "artist's hand" becomes distributed, less individual. And how does this intersect with the consumption of images and representations of nature in a rapidly urbanizing Edo-period Japan? Editor: I never thought about it in terms of challenging art. This opens up an interesting question, particularly the impact the material has on our perspective of its artistic nature, even now. Thank you! Curator: Likewise! Considering the production methods forces us to reconsider established hierarchies within the art world itself and how meaning is assigned. It is all a social relationship.