Scene from the -Toungue-cut Sparrow- c. 19th century

Curator: Look at this c. 19th-century print called "Scene from the -Toungue-cut Sparrow-", held here at the Minneapolis Institute of Art, and created by Shibata Zeshin. It's quite charming, isn't it? Editor: My immediate impression is a feeling of imbalance. That oversized load the figure carries dwarfs the others, visually creating a top-heavy composition that unsettles me slightly, despite the work’s pastel tones and illustrative style. Curator: That imbalance may speak to the arduous labor depicted. Zeshin was incredibly skilled across various artistic mediums, lacquerware being particularly important to his practice. One could argue this woodblock print, made with ink and watercolors, flattens and democratizes traditionally hierarchical artistic boundaries. He seems less concerned with traditional, elevated painting. Editor: I can appreciate that socio-economic argument, but formally, I’m drawn to the flattening effect you mentioned. The compressed perspective emphasizes surface, and Zeshin masterfully uses line to delineate forms and create depth where he wants it. The subtle gradations in the bamboo stems versus the relatively flat figures create a spatial hierarchy. Curator: Interesting that you mention depth. The theme originates in ukiyo-e traditions, where landscapes offered escapism and glimpses into the floating world but here the artist might comment on social hierarchy with the load bearer dwarfing the rest, reminding us of the heavy cost extracted by rapid urbanization during that time. The woodblock printing process allows multiple impressions and circulation to wider audiences, and it gives us some insight to how mass production impacted everyday lives. Editor: It does suggest labor but I disagree if he sought realism as there's clear artificiality in his reduction of forms, as seen in the stylized figures and their exaggerated movements. Notice the rhythm created by their bending postures – it draws the eye upward, reinforcing the dominance of the load, but still in this rather flat fashion. It's a strategic compositional tool to emphasize the theme through a simplified aesthetic language. Curator: These kinds of artworks become invaluable, especially as our culture leans more towards fleeting digital creations rather than things produced using these traditional laborious techniques that connect artists and audience to physical communities of art creation. Editor: Yes, seeing this print allows one to dive into formal relationships in a cultural context through line and color, allowing further critical thinking about these issues of labor and urbanization in Japan's history.