Koromo River below the Temple Tennōji 1880

This is "Koromo River below the Temple Tennōji," a woodblock print by Kobayashi Kiyochika. The process of woodblock printing is key to understanding the artwork's social context. It involved multiple artisans – the artist who created the design, the wood carver who translated it into blocks, and the printer who applied ink and pressed the paper. This division of labor reflects a commercial system, producing affordable images for a wide audience. Kiyochika's work bridges traditional ukiyo-e and modern art. The flat planes of color and strong outlines are characteristic of ukiyo-e, but the subject matter is contemporary. The image captures a scene of leisure, with people enjoying the cool evening air by the river, a scene made accessible through the collaborative process of woodblock printing. By appreciating the making of this artwork, we recognize the skills of multiple individuals and the networks of production and consumption in which they operated. This perspective challenges us to broaden our understanding of artistic creation beyond the individual artist.