Narihira's Eastern Journey, from the illustrated book "Panorama of Paintings on Screens and Hanging Scrolls (Byobu kakemono ekagami)" 1682

Editor: This is "Narihira's Eastern Journey" by Hishikawa Moronobu, created around 1682. It's a monochrome woodblock print with ink on paper. I'm struck by the elegance and simplicity, but also the almost dreamlike quality given the sparse landscape. What do you see in this piece, and how do we understand the imagery? Curator: What immediately grabs my attention is the figure of Mount Fuji looming in the background. Its presence isn't just geographic, but deeply symbolic. In Japanese art, Fuji often represents eternity, sacredness, and national identity. What do you make of its relation to the figures in the foreground? Editor: They seem small and almost insignificant in comparison, even though they are the primary subject. Are they meant to be dwarfed by the mountain's iconic status? Curator: Precisely. These figures, presumably representing Narihira and his retinue, are participating in a cultural memory. The journey itself alludes to a specific moment, a poem, and a set of shared experiences, all under the watchful gaze of Fuji, which represents both temporal continuity and the sublime. The image reinforces a connection to a literary and aesthetic heritage, doesn't it? How might this image function to connect viewers to the past? Editor: I suppose seeing the iconic mountain grounds the story in something tangible and recognizable, creating a visual link across generations. Like a shared landmark for a national narrative. Curator: Exactly. It’s an anchor to identity. Moronobu is not merely illustrating a journey; he's evoking a sense of shared history and cultural identity through visual shorthand. Editor: That gives me a lot to consider, I hadn't fully appreciated the cultural weight carried by even the simplest elements of the landscape. Thank you! Curator: Indeed, art becomes a vehicle for cultural memory. I've found that deeply enriching.