The First Letter of the Year 

Editor: This is Keisai Eisen's "The First Letter of the Year," a woodblock print from around the early 19th century. The woman's pale kimono and the bare branches create a somber mood. What compositional elements stand out to you? Curator: The linear quality dominates the composition. Consider the stark verticals of the bench juxtaposed with the sinuous curves of the plum branches and the cascading script of the letter. It is a study in contrasts. Editor: I see that now! The contrast between the rigid and organic really makes the letter stand out. Curator: Precisely. And how the patterning on the kimono interacts with the flatness of the overall image. The surface tension is quite remarkable. Editor: I hadn't considered how the patterns contribute to the overall flatness. Thanks for pointing that out! Curator: It is in observing these relationships that the essence of the work reveals itself. Editor: I’ll definitely look more closely at surface tension in prints now.