The Card Game c. 1790

Editor: This is "The Card Game," a print made around 1790 by Utagawa Toyokuni I, here at the Art Institute of Chicago. It has such a dreamy quality, like looking in on a private, bustling world. What strikes you most about this scene? Curator: That's a perfect observation, it's as if we've stumbled upon a secret. For me, it’s the captured energy. The women are totally absorbed in their game, yet there’s also this incredible sense of calm. Utagawa-sensei captures something so essentially human. Does the work hint at how carefully constructed are views of women through the *ukiyo-e* traditions? Editor: Yes, I guess there's almost a theatrical feel, like we're seeing a very constructed scene. The gazes aren't directly meeting. Also there's that almost surreal dreamlike extension toward the upper central area, behind the figures... How would you interpret it? Curator: Good eye. The extension might represent the artists' view. What’s unfolding beneath—that game, those whispered conversations—becomes part of this grander performance. Think of *ukiyo-e* prints not just as art objects but as mirrors reflecting the desires and dreams of an entire era. Can we assume that such mirrors always project truthful portrayals? Editor: Absolutely, the term *ukiyo-e*, "pictures of the floating world", is starting to take on a deeper resonance, because perhaps the artwork doesn't necessarily aim for faithful replication. Curator: Exactly. Instead, perhaps we ought to recognize *ukiyo-e* artworks are a collective yearning for something just beyond our grasp – pleasure, beauty, a fleeting connection in a world that keeps turning. It's nice how those concepts can coexist with card games and a relaxing day! Editor: Thank you!