Group of Fifteen Triptychs of Famous Battlescenes 19th century

This woodblock print triptych of famous battlescenes was made by Utagawa Kuniyoshi in 19th-century Japan. Utagawa used woodblocks, a common material and method in Japan at the time. The process of making these prints was incredibly labor-intensive. Each color required a separate block, and the registration had to be perfect. We can see how the material itself, wood, lends a particular character to the finished print – a sense of crispness and precision, but also a certain flatness. This aesthetic was widely celebrated in Japan, and later would go on to inform modern design in the West. Look closely, and you'll see the level of detail, all achieved by manual labor. Consider the social context: These prints were popular entertainment for the masses, a form of media, and a source of income for artists like Utagawa. They collapse any distinction between "high" art and everyday life.