The Actor Yamashita Kinsaku I as a peddler of tooth-blackening dye c. 1727

Editor: This woodblock print, "The Actor Yamashita Kinsaku I as a peddler of tooth-blackening dye" created around 1727, has such a striking and bold simplicity! I find it very graphic with a narrow color scheme, despite all the tiny details. What draws your eye when you look at it? Curator: The first element that seizes my attention is the dynamic interplay of lines. Observe the stark contrast between the verticality of the actor’s body and the banner he carries, juxtaposed against the diagonal flow of his robe and fan. It creates a complex composition using only a few well-planned choices. Editor: It does feel very balanced, in a way. Curator: Indeed. Note how the color blocks and the dark outlines demarcate planes of space and the forms within them, yet everything flattens out and feels graphic, just as you said. What effect does this have, do you think? Editor: Well, I think the composition leads me to notice all the fine, deliberate choices more clearly: the tilt of his head, the design on his kimono, the kanji. Everything feels symbolic and carefully placed, and I wouldn’t want to overlook anything. Curator: Precisely. We can appreciate this ukiyo-e print on the purely aesthetic qualities, separate from its historical and cultural context. Each formal choice seems poised to highlight the other artistic choices. Editor: This makes me feel like I can look at art with much greater purpose. Curator: Hopefully you'll move forward seeking not what a work represents, but how its construction gives shape to meaning.