An Erotic Picture Book of Snow on Fuji (Enpon fuji no yuki 艶本 婦慈のゆき) 1824

This page from an erotic picture book, made by Keisai Eisen in Japan in the early 19th century, is a woodblock print. This wasn't just a matter of carving an image and running off a few copies. Instead, highly skilled artisans were needed to create the blocks, layer color upon color, and produce editions for popular consumption. Here, we see the distinct qualities of line and flatness afforded by the technique. These weren't just images; they were commodities made for a growing urban class. The sensuous imagery wasn't just about pleasure, it also signaled economic vitality and a loosening of social norms. Consider the labor involved in creating each print, and the network of production that brought it into being. The economics of desire are thus literally imprinted on the page. This artwork asks us to reconsider the relationship between pleasure, artistic skill, and the dynamics of a changing society.