Salt-Water Carriers Murasame and Matsukaze, from the series Fashionable Brocades of the East (FÅ«zoku Azuma no nishiki) Possibly 1783

Curator: At the Harvard Art Museums, we see Torii Kiyonaga's print, "Salt-Water Carriers Murasame and Matsukaze," part of his series "Fashionable Brocades of the East." It gives me such a sense of calm. Editor: Calm is one word; I see almost a gentle melancholy. The women, burdened yet graceful, the muted tones… it's like a whispered poem. Curator: Kiyonaga’s prints often depicted women in everyday roles, elevating them within the Ukiyo-e tradition. These women, perhaps sex workers, are rendered with dignity. Editor: Dignity, yes, but also a strange remove. They're beautiful, yes, but also impossibly elegant and composed. Almost as if their clothes, rather than them, are carrying the water. Curator: The composition, with its subtle asymmetry and elegant lines, reflects a refined aesthetic sensibility. The print participates in a larger narrative about the representation of women. Editor: It's striking, isn't it? How much meaning can be carried in just a few lines, a few colors. It makes you wonder what stories they carry with them, these women. Curator: Indeed. The print offers a glimpse into the complexities of Edo-period society and the evolving role of women within it.