Foreplay

This print, *Foreplay*, was made by Isoda Koryūsai in Japan, using woodblock printing. Think about the process involved: each color here required a separate block, carefully carved and registered to create the final image. The flat, graphic quality is inherent to the medium, but so is a wonderful capacity for detail. Look closely, and you can see the texture of the different fabrics, patterns, and the subtle gradations of color. The act of making prints like this was itself a collaborative, highly skilled endeavor, involving artists, carvers, printers, and publishers. Each print required many hours of labor. Yet, the prints themselves were relatively affordable, and the images circulated widely. They offer us a glimpse into the aesthetics and social life of Edo period Japan, collapsing any distinction between art and craft.