Stormachtige dag aan de Sumida rivier 1844

This print of a woman caught in a storm near the Sumida River was made by Utagawa Kunisada, likely in the first half of the 19th century. It’s a woodblock print, meaning that each color you see was carefully carved into a separate block, inked, and then printed onto paper. Look closely, and you can see how the material of the wood influences the final image. The smooth, flat planes of color, the crisp lines, and the overall graphic quality all speak to the inherent properties of the woodblock. The process of carving these blocks requires immense skill and patience, a tradition passed down through generations of artisans. Consider the labor involved in creating this print. From the artist who designed the image, to the carvers who meticulously translated the design onto wood, to the printers who painstakingly applied the ink and pressed the paper, each step required specialized knowledge and expertise. In appreciating this work, we must recognize the collaborative nature of its production. We gain a deeper understanding of the image by acknowledging not only the artist's vision, but the skilled hands that brought it to life.