Woman Applying Make-up 1754 - 1806

Editor: We’re looking at "Woman Applying Make-up," a Japanese print from the late 18th or early 19th century by Juka Sekijō, currently residing at the Met. I find it a very intimate, almost voyeuristic scene, observing this woman in her private moment. What do you see in this work? Curator: I see a profound engagement with gender, identity, and the performance of self within a specific cultural context. Consider the Ukiyo-e tradition: these "pictures of the floating world" often depicted courtesans and actors, figures already engaged in a kind of societal performance. This woman applying makeup isn’t simply beautifying herself; she's actively constructing a persona, one deeply intertwined with social expectations and power dynamics. Editor: That’s fascinating! I hadn't thought of it as performance. How do social expectations come into play here? Curator: Well, think about the idealized images of women prevalent during this period. This print, even with its intimate setting, participates in that construction of the ideal. What does it mean for a woman to present herself in this way, knowing she is both subject and object within a male-dominated society? The very act of applying makeup becomes a commentary on female agency – or its lack thereof – within those social confines. Does the presence of the text or the mirror add anything to your thinking about that? Editor: Hmm, I see what you mean. The mirror, of course, reflects back this constructed image, constantly reinforcing it. And the text possibly references her 'role,' solidifying your perspective. I never would have arrived at this conclusion on my own. Thank you. Curator: And thank you. It’s precisely through such dialogue that we can unpack the layers of meaning embedded within these seemingly simple scenes.