Actor Nakayama Tomisaburō as the Courtesan Miyagino from the Play "Katakiuchi Noriai-Banashi" (Kiri-za) Possibly 1794 - 1795

Editor: This is Tōshūsai Sharaku's woodblock print, "Actor Nakayama Tomisaburō as the Courtesan Miyagino," it looks like paper to me. The lines are so precise! What can you tell me about this work? Curator: Consider the labor: the carving of the woodblocks, the grinding and mixing of pigments, the layering of color. Ukiyo-e prints were a commodity, consumed by a wide audience, which democratized art. How does knowing it was mass-produced alter your perception? Editor: It's interesting to think about it not as a unique painting, but a product of collaboration and skill, made for many people to own and enjoy.