MOTHER AND CHILD c. 19th century

Curator: Just look at it—it's a tender moment, isn't it? I get the impression it's a dream, all this impossible tenderness. Editor: This woodblock print, "Mother and Child," by Utagawa Kunisada at the Harvard Art Museums, presents a very intimate scene. There's a calculated asymmetry to the composition, from the curve of the mother's figure to the block print above. Curator: That waterfall print feels like a window into a different realm, doesn't it? Perhaps a reminder of nature's embrace, while she embraces. It certainly adds an ethereal feeling. Editor: The waterfall and mother’s robe pattern introduce a subtle commentary on the cyclical nature of life, water feeding the land and a mother nurturing her child. Curator: Yes! It also creates an interesting contrast, between the fleeting beauty of nature and the enduring bond between parent and child. I could gaze at this for hours, imagining their world. Editor: A powerful image of maternal love, indeed, elevated through precise craftsmanship and thoughtful symbolism. Curator: It makes you ponder what is and what could be. Editor: Art allows us to dream, doesn't it?