An Elegant Lady c. 1715

Okumura Masanobu made this woodblock print of an elegant lady, using a technique known as *ukiyo-e*, which flourished in Japan's Edo period. This artwork exemplifies the meticulous, labor-intensive process inherent to woodblock printing, where artisans meticulously carve a separate block for each color. Think about the intense skill required to translate an image into a series of precisely incised blocks. Look closely, and you can see how the material directly influences the artwork's appearance: the flat, graphic quality, the bold outlines, and the layering of colors. The inherent qualities of the wood, like its grain and texture, subtly interact with the image. *Ukiyo-e* prints like this one were not just artworks, but commodities, reflecting the rise of a merchant class and a culture of consumption. They represent a fascinating intersection of art, craft, and commerce, challenging traditional distinctions between these categories.