Katsuwonus pelamis 

Editor: This is a woodblock print of a Katsuwonus pelamis, by Utagawa Hiroshige. I don't know the exact date. I’m struck by the contrast between the vibrant blue of the fish and the delicate botanical elements. What can you tell me about its place within the art of its time? Curator: Hiroshige's fish prints, especially those depicting food items, reflect the Edo period's burgeoning consumer culture. The *ukiyo-e* tradition, of which Hiroshige was a master, catered to a public increasingly interested in representations of daily life and pleasures. What do you think the inclusion of text might suggest about the work’s function? Editor: Maybe the text functions as both description and advertising for vendors? And I suppose a colored woodblock print was more widely available, and perhaps affordable, than paintings were. Curator: Exactly. These prints were both artistic expressions and commercial products circulating within a complex economic and social system. Consider how the seemingly simple image of a fish speaks to the growth of urban centers, the rise of a merchant class, and the developing systems for distributing information and goods. Also, how museums reflect Japanese art and culture today. Editor: So it’s not just about aesthetics, it's about understanding the cultural context of the print and how the growth of commerce played a part in ukiyo-e production. Thank you for contextualizing that, it shifts my perception. Curator: Precisely. And by considering the historical context, we gain insight into the social function of art and the ways in which images participate in the construction of public life and taste. Editor: I’m definitely going to be considering all that when I look at prints from now on.