Yamatoya Iwai Hanshiro IV as Kikusui in the play "Matsuwa Misao Onna Kusunoki," from the series "Portraits of Actors on Stage (Yakusha butai no sugata-e)" 1794

Utagawa Toyokuni I made this woodblock print of Yamatoya Iwai Hanshiro IV around the turn of the 19th century. Consider the nature of this object. It’s not painting; it's a print made from carved blocks. Woodblock printing demanded a division of labor: the artist who made the original design, the carver who translated that design into a series of blocks, and the printer who applied ink and pressed the paper to the block. The materiality of the wood gives the image its distinctive character. Notice the crispness of the lines, and the flat planes of color. These don't blend seamlessly; they sit next to each other with sharp definition. This reflects the hard-won skill of the carver. It is the craft that gives this print its enduring appeal. The process emphasizes clean, controlled execution, a reminder of the collaborative labor that went into its making. That interplay of art, craft, and social context is what makes this image so compelling.