''‘Lady of the Evening Faces’ (Yūgao): Yazama’s Wife Orie (Yazama-shi no shitsu Orie),” from the series Scenes amid Genji Clouds Matched with Ukiyo-e Pictures (Genji-gumo ukiyo e-awase) 1845 - 1846

Editor: Here we have Utagawa Kuniyoshi's woodblock print from 1845-1846, "Lady of the Evening Faces." The falling snow and muted colors give it such a melancholic, almost ethereal feel. What do you make of this piece? Curator: There’s a storybook quality, isn't there? Consider the falling snow, and the birds. What emotional significance do those images carry? Editor: Snow can feel isolating, and maybe the birds represent freedom or a desire to escape? Curator: Exactly! These recurring visual motifs often tap into shared cultural memories. Snow, for instance, can symbolize purity or the end of something. The birds could evoke the fleeting nature of time. This print belongs to a series, *Scenes amid Genji Clouds Matched with Ukiyo-e Pictures*. "Genji" alludes to *The Tale of Genji*, a classic of Japanese literature. Do you notice how Kuniyoshi uses the visual language of the tale, alongside images from daily life? Editor: Yes, I see the script at the top with a flowering plant and ornamental decorations. How does the blending of genres impact our experience? Curator: It creates a dialogue between the past and the present. It acknowledges history and myth while rooting itself in the everyday. What do you make of the Lady herself? She carries what looks like a rolled-up scroll, and seems contemplative. Editor: Maybe she is reflecting on the words in the scroll, as she pauses for a brief rest, outside with her dog. Curator: The dog, the scroll… even her kimono tells us something about status and purpose. They add layers to her story, prompting viewers to participate in constructing meaning. And that little flowering creeper in the background - it carries with it connotations of fragility and ephemeral beauty. Editor: It's amazing how many layers there are in what at first appears to be a simple scene. Curator: Precisely. Visual elements echo and amplify cultural and psychological depth across time.