Revised Yokohama Landscape 1861

Editor: We're looking at "Revised Yokohama Landscape" by Utagawa Sadahide, created around 1861. It's a woodblock print. The detail is amazing! The scene teems with people. What jumps out at you? Curator: What strikes me is the relationship between the print and the rapid urbanization it depicts. Think about the woodblock process: each color a separate block, carved and printed. Consider how the intensive labor involved parallels the industry reshaping Yokohama itself at this time. It's about trade, new technology and imported culture. Editor: So, the *making* of the artwork mirrors the *making* of the city? Curator: Precisely. Look at the inclusion of the steam train, the Western-style buildings alongside traditional Japanese architecture. This isn’t just a landscape; it’s a document of shifting materials and methods of production. Utagawa’s process uses craft to portray technology. This forces us to think about who profits from all of this production. Editor: I never thought about the economic and social layers within a seemingly straightforward landscape. It really underscores the changes happening at the time. Curator: Exactly. Think about where those raw materials came from to create each piece of the print! The materiality speaks volumes about global connections, production, labor and trade routes. Editor: That's fascinating, it's not just *what* is shown, but how it was *made* that is critical to understanding it. Thanks, that gives me a lot to think about! Curator: My pleasure. It’s about looking beyond the surface.