Bedroom Scene 1729 - 1749

Okumura Masanobu’s “Bedroom Scene” was made using woodblock printmaking, a process rooted in skillful carving and layering of color. Here, the medium informs the message. Ukiyo-e prints like this one were not unique artworks, but rather, relatively inexpensive multiples. This brought images of the elite classes to a wider audience. The lines of the print are sharp and the colors are flat, a direct result of the carving process. Each color required a separate block, demanding expert registration. Notice how this constraint affects the portrayal of textures, seen in the intricate patterns of the kimonos. Woodblock printing connected the worlds of art, labor, and commerce. Skilled artisans were needed to produce each print, participating in the circulation of images that both reflected and shaped the culture of their time. By focusing on the processes involved, we move beyond the mere subject of the image and understand its wider cultural significance.