Lin Hejing (Rin Nasei) with Crane c. 19th century

Curator: Lin Hejing with Crane, a woodblock print with watercolor attributed to Yashima Gakutei from the 19th century, is an interesting example of Ukiyo-e. I am intrigued by the flat composition. What do you make of the interplay of figure, animal, and landscape? Editor: It's a fascinating combination, definitely not what I'd expect! There's a sense of almost casual labor amidst this image of refinement. Can you unpack the processes and context that might have shaped this image? Curator: Consider the labor involved in producing such an image – the papermaking, the wood carving for the printing blocks, the multiple applications of watercolor… How might the division of labor within the workshop have influenced the final aesthetic? Who would have had access to such images, and how would their consumption have impacted artistic production? Editor: So, it’s not just about the artist's individual skill but about the whole system of production. Thinking about the intended audience, what story might the artist be trying to tell through materials that are accessible yet stylized? Curator: Exactly! This piece challenges the boundary between "high art" and "craft". The materials themselves – the wood, the paper, the pigments – speak to the material realities of 19th-century Japan, even as the image idealizes a scholarly figure. And how is nature represented in relation to the figure and objects here? Editor: The landscape is very present, almost like another character in the artwork. Now I’m looking at it with the materiality in mind, and it seems less romantic and more… deliberate. It's all part of the consumption cycle and economy that keeps the printer running. Curator: Precisely! This print encourages us to reconsider what constitutes "art" and to recognize the interplay between labor, materials, and cultural value in its making and meaning. It is all interconnected in this period. Editor: Thank you! Thinking about this work through its materiality gives me a better understanding of Ukiyo-e. Curator: Absolutely, a deep-dive into its production really opens your eyes, doesn't it?