Kato Kiyomasa het paleis van Orankai vernietigend en innemend door een rotsblok naar beneden te rollen. 1895

This is Mizuno Toshikata's woodblock print, depicting Kato Kiyomasa destroying Orankai palace. Here, the very nature of the medium speaks to the cultural and social context of the time. Woodblock printing, or Ukiyo-e, involves a collaboration between the artist, the block carver, the printer, and the publisher. The distinct lines and blocks of color were carefully carved into wood, with different blocks used for each color. Each print was part of a larger edition; while we think of painting as unique, Ukiyo-e prints were often made in hundreds of impressions. The prints were then sold to a wide audience, bringing art to the masses in a way that challenged traditional hierarchies. The labor-intensive process also speaks to the value placed on skilled craftsmanship in Japanese society, showing that art is as much about production and dissemination as it is about individual expression.