The Osaka Youth Who Regained His Speech after His Father’s Death 1875

This print, by Tsukioka Yoshitoshi, was made using woodblocks – a laborious process. Each color requires a separate block, meticulously carved and then aligned to create the final image. Look closely, and you'll notice the subtle layering and texture that this method creates. The soft, fibrous nature of the paper also plays a key role. It absorbs the ink, giving the print a delicate, almost watercolor-like quality. The artist, or rather the artisan, would have needed great skill to create this kind of print. Woodblock printing was a commercial enterprise, and this print is a kind of advertisement. It uses the power of an emotional narrative to sell newspapers. In many ways, it is similar to a modern-day news story, using the visual appeal and inherent qualities of the medium to convey a message. In this case, the power of recovery after loss, and the importance of reading the news! It reminds us that even in fine art, materials, process, and social context are inseparable.