Waitress Oritsu hiding a letter behind her back c. 1812 - 1815

This print of a waitress hiding a letter was created by Utagawa Toyokuni I, a leading artist of the Ukiyo-e style. It's made with woodblock printing – a process that involves carving an image into a block of wood, applying ink, and then pressing it onto paper. Look closely, and you can see the texture of the paper, and the subtle variations in the ink, a consequence of the way the printing was done. Each color required a separate block, so you can imagine the labour involved in producing this image. The flat, bold lines are typical of Ukiyo-e, but the soft color palette gives it a gentle, intimate quality. What I find interesting is the link to the social context of Edo-period Japan. Woodblock prints like this were popular and relatively affordable, making art accessible to a wider audience. They were a form of mass production in their time, reflecting the growing urban culture and commercial economy. And they bring a sense of labor into the making process, making this print so special.