Picture Book: Camellia (Ehon Himetsubaki) 1745

This is a page from "Picture Book: Camellia" (Ehon Himetsubaki), made by Nishikawa Sukenobu in Japan during the 18th century. It's made with ink on paper, through woodblock printing, a craft that was widespread in Japan at the time. The texture of the print is smooth, with a light absorbency. It's produced by the use of carved woodblocks, the application of ink, and then pressed onto paper. This process necessitates a division of labor: artists, carvers, printers, and publishers. Woodblock printing was a medium that allowed mass production and dissemination of images in a pre-industrial age, thereby influencing popular culture and art. The very act of printing democratizes image-making, making art more accessible to people from all walks of life. Looking at the image, we can understand the labor that went into the production process. From the carving of the woodblock to the inking and printing, it is an object of both artistic and historical significance. Recognizing the labor and process embedded in its creation allows us to look beyond the conventional boundaries of fine art.