Court lady admiring plum blossoms c. late 1820s

Editor: This woodblock print from the late 1820s is by Yanagawa Shigenobu and it's called "Court lady admiring plum blossoms." The plum blossoms are subtle but lovely. I find it peaceful. What symbols and images are you drawn to in this Ukiyo-e print? Curator: The plum blossom itself is rich with meaning. Consider its position in the traditional East Asian artistic lexicon – it often signifies resilience, renewal, and the ephemeral nature of beauty. Think about why the artist chose this particular flower instead of a cherry blossom, which is more showy. Editor: So the plum blossom suggests something beyond mere aesthetic appeal? Curator: Exactly! What does that poem in the upper right evoke for you? Is it enhancing her experience of the plum blossoms or speaking of something else? Editor: It includes a phrase on scent, "delivering the scent of plum," implying the woman receives this scene fully. It evokes ideas of beauty, nature, and contemplation. Do you think viewers at the time would have found the poem crucial? Curator: Undoubtedly. Literary and visual culture were deeply entwined. But consider too the enduring appeal: we may not grasp every nuance, but we can still perceive the work’s refined sense of longing, can't we? Does the artist create space for this longing to live on in the work and in us? Editor: I suppose so! Seeing how the plum blossoms create an atmosphere helps the whole image be evocative, poem included or not. It really showcases a unique and interesting aspect of visual art history.