Resembling a Branch (Eda ni utsusu), from the series The Appearance of Upper-Class Women of the Edo Period (Tokugawa jidai kifujin no sugata) -- Woman with a Doll c. 1896

Editor: Here we have "Resembling a Branch" by Yoshu Chikanobu, a woodblock print. The woman's gaze is directed upwards, almost wistful. How do you interpret this image, considering the series it belongs to? Curator: It's crucial to consider the representation of women within the "Appearance of Upper-Class Women of the Edo Period." What societal expectations were being placed upon women of this era, and how does Chikanobu's work reflect or subvert those norms through the female gaze? Editor: So, the wistful gaze might be communicating something beyond just a pretty picture. Curator: Precisely. It asks us to consider the constraints of upper-class Edo women and how they may have sought moments of escape or reflection, even in the presence of prescribed roles like motherhood, symbolized by the doll. What do you think about that? Editor: That makes me see the image in a different, much more complex, light. Thanks! Curator: Absolutely, let's not forget that art is a powerful tool for questioning and understanding the narratives of the past and present.