Rules for the Department of Young Ladies (Shōgaku Joreishiki zukai) c. late 19th century

Curator: This is Adachi Ginkō's "Rules for the Department of Young Ladies," a woodblock print now housed at the Harvard Art Museums. The composition depicts several young women in what appears to be a domestic interior. Editor: It’s striking how flat the picture plane feels. And the artist uses color to create distinct spatial compartments that nonetheless feel oddly disconnected. Curator: The flattening is characteristic of ukiyo-e prints. Ginkō, working in the Meiji era, often explored themes of modernization and societal expectations. Editor: It’s interesting that such a modernizing theme comes in a format associated with the older Edo period. The rules, I imagine, are about how young women should behave? Curator: Precisely. The text at the top details conduct expected of women during that era. I find the layering of cultural messages quite complex here. Editor: Right—the medium itself acts as a commentary, contrasting tradition and change. I see both constraint and artistic freedom in this single image. Curator: It’s a testament to the complexities within Meiji-era art and society.