Interior Scene 1778 - 1798

Torii Kiyonaga created this print of an interior scene using woodblocks. The key block would have been carved first to create an outline, with subsequent blocks adding layers of color. The flat, unmodulated colors are characteristic of this medium, as is the emphasis on line. But note how Kiyonaga complicates the image, using color not just decoratively, but to suggest volume. Look closely at the complex patterns of the kimonos, the suggestion of depth created by the room, the way the figures interact. This wasn't just a technical exercise. Woodblock prints were a popular art form, affordable for a broad audience in Japan. They were a product of intense labor, with teams of artisans involved in carving, printing, and publishing. Kiyonaga himself came from a merchant family, a background which perhaps sensitized him to the links between art, labor, and commerce. His mastery of the process allowed him to make an art that was both beautiful and accessible, blurring the lines between high art and popular culture.