Visiting (Kayoi), from the series "The Seven Fashionable Aspects of Komachi (Furyu yatsushi nana Komachi)" c. early 1760s

This print, “Visiting,” was made by Suzuki Harunobu in eighteenth-century Japan using woodblock printing. It's a quintessential example of ukiyo-e, or "pictures of the floating world." Look closely and you’ll see the texture of the paper, the grain of the wood in the key lines, and the soft color washes, all achieved through a painstaking process. Each color required a separate block, demanding incredible precision. The labor involved was intense: carving the blocks, inking them, and then carefully pressing the paper to transfer the image, burnishing the back to ensure even distribution of the ink. Ukiyo-e prints like this one were produced for a growing urban population. They depict fashionable beauties, actors, and scenes of everyday life. “Visiting” offers us a glimpse into the refined world of Edo-period Japan. These prints were not high art. They were produced in multiples, and widely consumed, yet required incredible skill and artistry to create. They blur the lines between craft and art, offering a window into the culture of their time.