Vrijend paar met omkijkend meisje c. 1690

This print of a couple embracing, with a woman looking back, was created by Torii Kiyonobu I. It’s made using woodblock printing, a technique that was refined in Japan over centuries. The process begins with a drawing, which is then carefully transferred onto a block of wood, usually cherry. The printer then carves away the negative space, leaving the lines of the image raised. Ink is applied to the surface, and paper is laid on top. By rubbing the back of the paper, the image is transferred, in reverse, onto the page. The result has a distinctive look and feel. Woodblock prints like this one were instrumental in popularizing art to a broad audience. Woodblock prints democratized images, making them widely available, influencing fashion, theatre, and social life. So, when we look at this print, we are not just seeing an image, but also an insight into the culture that produced it.