Woman with Two Children and Monkey by the Sumida River, Distant View of Matsuchiyama Edo period,

Editor: This is Hokusai's *Woman with Two Children and Monkey by the Sumida River, Distant View of Matsuchiyama.* I’m struck by how this intimate domestic scene is juxtaposed with the distant landscape. What do you see in this piece? Curator: The positioning of the female figure with her children and the monkey against the Sumida River highlights the social constraints placed on women during the Edo period. Their lives were often confined to domestic spaces, while the landscape represents the outside world, accessible primarily to men. Editor: So the landscape is less about nature itself and more about social roles? Curator: Precisely. The print underscores how artistic representations were deeply intertwined with power dynamics and gendered expectations of the time. Editor: That adds a whole new layer to my understanding; I’ll definitely look at Hokusai differently now. Curator: Indeed, considering the social context gives us a richer appreciation of the artwork.