Woman Entering Bath c. 1765 - 1770

Editor: This is "Woman Entering Bath" by Suzuki Harunobu. It's a woodblock print, quite tall and narrow. The woman's pale skin contrasts beautifully with the pinks and greens. What do you make of the way Harunobu uses color and line in this print? Curator: It's crucial to recognize the materiality here. Ukiyo-e prints, like this one, were products of a collaborative system. The artist’s design was transferred by craftsmen through carving woodblocks for each color, then printed. How does that division of labor and process affect our understanding of Harunobu’s artistic intentions? Editor: So, the final product is shaped by many hands, not just Harunobu's initial vision? Curator: Precisely! And consider the dissemination of these prints. They were commodities, affordable to a growing urban population. This challenges notions of the artist as a singular genius and raises questions about the consumption of beauty in 18th-century Edo. Editor: I never thought about it that way. It adds a whole new layer of understanding! Curator: Indeed! It moves us beyond just admiring the aesthetic to understanding the social fabric that produced it.