Courtisanes achter de ramen 1804

This print, "Courtesans behind the Windows," was made by Kitagawa Utamaro in the late 18th century. It's a woodblock print, a technique requiring a high degree of skill in carving, inking, and registration of color. Utamaro was a master of this process, creating a scene that offers a glimpse into a pleasure quarter. Note the latticework, precisely rendered. This emphasizes the women’s confinement, and the commercial aspect of their lives. The print itself participates in this dynamic, offered for sale as a commodity. Consider the labor involved, from the paper production to the making of the inks, to the artist and printer’s skills. Utamaro elevates a scene of everyday life into an object of beauty. This reminds us that even the most apparently straightforward images are the result of complex social and material relations.