Stencil for Illustrated Don Quixote (Ehon Don Kihōte) Possibly 1936

Editor: This is Serizawa Keisuke's "Stencil for Illustrated Don Quixote," meant to accompany a Japanese translation of Cervantes’ novel. I’m struck by how the stark stencil technique captures the dynamism of the story. What do you see in this piece? Curator: It's a remarkable fusion, isn't it? The *mingei* aesthetic, the Japanese folk art movement, filtering a Spanish literary classic. Notice the bold simplification, almost childlike, yet the narrative clarity is powerful. Does the visual language feel at odds with the source material, or strangely harmonious? Editor: I think it’s harmonious. There’s a universal quality to Don Quixote’s story of delusion. Curator: Precisely. The stencil becomes a kind of cultural translator, echoing the absurdity with its own kind of formal playfulness. We see two stories converging. Editor: I never thought about it that way. Curator: Art always offers new points of view!