Eight Immortals Indulged in Wine c. early 19th century

Editor: This is "Eight Immortals Indulged in Wine" by Watanabe Nangaku, from the early 19th century, an ink and color on paper hanging scroll. It definitely depicts a wild party! What catches your eye about this piece? Curator: What I see is a visual record of material excess. Think about it – ink wasn't just plucked from a tree; it involved a complex process of grinding, mixing, and application, representing labor. The paper too, made through pulping and pressing. Even the apparent spontaneity is underpinned by considerable preparation. Editor: So you are talking about how even what looks like a casual painting represents so many layers of physical production. Curator: Exactly! And that links to the social context. Who had access to these materials? Who could afford the leisure to depict such a scene? Consider also, that the scroll format itself, meant for display and careful handling, transforms consumption and meaning. Editor: I never thought about artistic materials as representing economic access and class. I was too busy just looking at the composition and figures. Curator: The composition serves that excess; figures tumbling over each other in what appears to be chaos. It speaks to consumption not just of wine, but of resources and the power that enables such indulgence. What appears spontaneous actually masks material privilege. The choice of ink – its gradations, its depth – underscores skill and therefore value. It asks, in its own way, about art, class, and production. Editor: That makes me think differently about what counts as ‘craft’ versus ‘art’. So much skill and labor goes into what are maybe overlooked as basic materials. Thanks for this perspective, it changes my approach. Curator: Precisely! Analyzing the means of artistic production and material usage challenges those hierarchies and the means of their production.