Spring Flowers Arranged for a Soiree c. 1765 - 1770

Editor: So, this woodblock print titled "Spring Flowers Arranged for a Soiree" is by Suzuki Harunobu. I’m struck by the intimate scene and how it might challenge our ideas of public versus private in art. What's your take on this piece and its cultural context? Curator: It's fascinating how Harunobu uses seemingly domestic scenes to comment on societal expectations. The gaze of the figure peeking through the screen, for instance, implicates the viewer, raising questions about voyeurism and the performance of social roles in 18th century Japan. What do you think that reveals about the function of art? Editor: That makes me think about how images shape our understanding of everyday life, then and now. Thanks! Curator: Indeed, it shows how art continually negotiates the boundaries between observation and participation in culture.