Mackerel and Halibut c. 1830s

Utagawa Hiroshige’s Mackerel and Halibut is a woodblock print made in Japan, sometime before 1858. The fish are depicted with striking clarity, achieved through a meticulous process. Hiroshige would have begun with a drawing, which was then transferred to a woodblock. Highly skilled artisans carved away the areas that would remain white, leaving a raised surface to hold the ink. Each color required a separate block, and the printer would have carefully applied the ink and pressed the paper onto the block. The success of this print relied on a close collaboration between artist, carver, and printer, each bringing their expertise to bear. These prints were commercial objects, relatively inexpensive and widely available. It’s easy to forget the immense amount of labor that went into each impression. Paying attention to materials and processes encourages us to consider not only the image itself, but also the complex social and economic context in which it was produced.