Standing Beauty 1716 - 1736

Curator: We're standing before Kondo Katsunobu’s "Standing Beauty," a hanging scroll created sometime between 1716 and 1736. It’s currently residing here at The Met. What strikes you first about this work? Editor: Oh, she’s stunning! There’s this sense of poised stillness, almost like she’s holding her breath. The stark contrast of the black kimono against the grey background is immediately captivating, a dance of shadow and light that draws the eye in. Curator: Yes, the visual impact is quite strong. Katsunobu worked in the style of Ukiyo-e, a popular genre of Japanese art which focused on subjects of everyday life and entertainment. It's all about capturing a fleeting moment in time and in some ways a study on consumer culture. Ukiyo-e prints were very accessible, almost a mass-produced art form, weren’t they? Editor: Exactly. She is wearing this spectacular robe! The motifs decorating her robe, with those little illustrated vignettes, feel almost like scenes from a play or snapshots of everyday life that I would love to decode. Each image probably meant something very specific. Curator: And the materials would've been relatively accessible for production, reaching a wide audience that spanned different socio-economic backgrounds, which then influenced later styles in painting and printing, and that availability definitely challenges notions of high art and artistic exclusivity. It is more about capturing daily life in portrait form. Editor: True. Her simple hair updo gives an interesting curve to her silhouette that softens the austerity of the print and the overall tone of understated dignity. It's like, even in repose, she carries herself with grace and elegance. It brings a modern feeling to this classical representation, if that makes sense. Curator: That makes perfect sense, I also feel that Katsunobu offers commentary through the painting of the materials as part of the production of female roles, expectations, and limitations within society through the depiction of fashion. Editor: Right. There’s so much more going on beneath the surface that rewards the eye, offering many possibilities to appreciate what's presented to us in this gorgeous painting. Curator: Well, this glimpse at artistic labor and cultural context certainly brings a unique understanding to our Standing Beauty. Editor: Absolutely! Now, when I look at her, it’s through a richer lens, understanding the stories woven into both her garments and society.