Schoonheden bij een hanengevecht c. 1845 - 1846

Utagawa Kunisada created ‘Beauties at a Cockfight’ using woodblock printing, a quintessential technique of the Edo period. The print’s visual appeal hinges on the layering of colors and lines. Each color requires a separate block, demanding meticulous carving and alignment, which were highly specialized skills. The texture of the paper itself plays a crucial role, absorbing the ink to create soft, diffused edges and a tactile quality. Woodblock printing was a commercial enterprise, involving the labor of artists, block carvers, printers, and publishers. Kunisada's compositions often reflect the tastes of a rising merchant class, keen to consume images of fashionable life and entertainment. The print captures a moment of leisure, but also hints at the social dynamics of the time. The beauty’s engagement with the cockfight, a popular, yet controversial form of entertainment, reveals a society navigating the boundaries between refinement and spectacle. This work connects us to the skilled labor and cultural values embedded in its production, inviting us to appreciate the rich layers of meaning within this seemingly simple scene.