Preparatory drawing for the print Clearing Mist at Matsuchi from the series Comparison of Fans with Eight Views of the Sumida River 1844

Curator: Here we have Utagawa Kunisada’s preparatory drawing for the print "Clearing Mist at Matsuchi" from his series "Comparison of Fans with Eight Views of the Sumida River," created in 1844. The piece employs ink on paper, and resides here at the Minneapolis Institute of Art. What are your initial thoughts? Editor: The swift, spare lines give it such a transient feel, like a fleeting moment captured right before it dissolves. There's almost a raw vulnerability to this preliminary stage. I'm intrigued by how the landscape blends into the figure. Curator: Indeed. The blurring of boundaries speaks volumes. The female figure, likely a courtesan, is not just presented as an isolated subject but is deeply intertwined with the surrounding Sumida River cityscape. How might her identity, her labor, be shaped by this environment? Editor: It’s the economy of line that captures my attention. The artist focuses our eye on essential details like the cut of her robe, the implied texture of the mist. Look at how he renders the built environment in the distance – simple strokes representing housing structures along the waterway, speaking to production, trade, and labor inherent to urban living. This shows the social forces intertwined within the aesthetics. Curator: Precisely. The "floating world," ukiyo-e, was consumed by diverse classes. These prints circulated widely, carrying socio-political undertones reflecting, reinforcing, or sometimes challenging norms. This image allows us to question who is granted visibility, and the conditions dictating representation. What power dynamics are at play in this observation? Editor: And isn't it interesting how Kunisada's sketch highlights the act of production itself? By showing us this drawing, he’s implicitly drawing attention to the hand of the artist, and the steps involved in image making. What were the modes of artistic training and labor at play here, I wonder? Curator: Thinking about its legacy, its reproduction as prints made this imagery accessible, solidifying narratives and cultural understandings across Japan, influencing global perceptions of Japanese aesthetics. How did its journey shape broader societal views on identity and beauty standards? Editor: Yes! And it compels me to think about paper production itself – the materiality that underpins these images, alongside considerations of printmaking labor of Kunisada's workshop. These fan prints were products made for consumption! Curator: The image leaves me contemplating the intricate dance between individual representation and cultural narratives, questioning who gets to define and consume these visions. Editor: It gives me cause to pause on the labor, the material inputs that form art, as we understand it now. Thank you for that.