It is important to know that a woodblock print is not the sole effort of the artist, Hiroshige or Hokusai, whose name appears on it.
It is actually a collaborative effort of the artist, woodblock carver, printer, and publisher.
The final product is sold with the artist’s signature and the publisher’s name. The woodblock carvers and printers remain the unknown artisans, the unsung heroes of this exquisite Japanese art form.
(See p. 24 of Ukiyo-e: The Art of the Japanese Print by Frederick Harris, published in 2010).
LWH, 18 July 2025, Sat