Triptych: Surprise Attack at Night at Kumasaka (Kumasaka yau chi no zu) c. 1845

Editor: This woodblock triptych, "Surprise Attack at Night at Kumasaka" by Utagawa Yoshitora, depicts a chaotic battle scene. What can you tell me about the means of production of prints like this? Curator: We can consider the labor involved in creating the woodblocks themselves. How does the process of carving and printing, a collaboration between artist, block carver, and printer, impact our understanding of authorship and artistic value? Editor: So, it's not just about the artist's vision but also the artisans who physically made it? Curator: Precisely! Examining the materials – the wood, the inks – and the socio-economic context of their availability sheds light on the networks of trade and consumption that underpinned the creation of these prints. Editor: That's fascinating, looking at the whole system and not just the individual artwork. Thank you. Curator: My pleasure. Thinking about art as a product of a complex system always reveals unexpected insights.