Actors Bandō Shūka I as Inuzuka Shino (T) and Seki Sanjūrō III as Inukai Genpachi (B)

Utagawa Kunisada created this woodblock print of actors in Japan, sometime before 1865. Woodblock printing is a relief process. Areas that are not to be printed are cut away from the wood. The remaining parts receive ink, and the image is transferred to paper by applying pressure to the block. The materiality of woodblock prints directly influenced their appearance. The artist's engagement with wood's inherent qualities — its grain, its capacity for fine carving — informed the intricate details and textures of the work. Color layering was also key to the process. Each color required its own block, and the success of a print hinged on the alignment and precision of each impression. Kunisada was a master of ukiyo-e, or "pictures of the floating world," a genre that often depicted actors, courtesans, and landscapes. Ukiyo-e prints were produced on a large scale and distributed widely, a testament to the technical advancements and collaborative workshop systems that underpinned their production. By emphasizing materials, making, and context, we can appreciate the skill required to bring these images to life, and challenge the traditional distinctions between commercial images and fine art.