Parade langs de kersenbloesem 1804

Editor: This is "Parade langs de kersenbloesem" or "Parade past the Cherry Blossoms," a color woodblock print made around 1804 by Kitagawa Utamaro. The way the figures are arranged, almost processional, gives it a ceremonial feel, but there's also a clear distinction between the groups depicted. What story do you think Utamaro is trying to tell us? Curator: Utamaro was deeply engaged in depicting the social strata of Edo period Japan. Consider who is granted space, whose expressions are highlighted. Do you notice how the composition seemingly segregates the figures by gender and possibly by class, visually reinforcing social structures of the time? How does this reinforce or challenge dominant power dynamics? Editor: I see what you mean. The women, in their bright kimonos, are definitely drawing the eye, but they're also framed, almost contained, by the cherry blossoms. The men, though less flamboyant, occupy the "backstage." Is Utamaro commenting on the roles assigned to them? Curator: Precisely! This isn’t simply a record of a parade, it’s a layered commentary. What about the Ukiyo-e tradition? It often focused on the pleasure districts. Could this image, depicting a more 'respectable' scene, be a conscious divergence, or even a critique, of those earlier tropes? Consider the gaze of the figures, or what we can grasp of it given the conventions of the art! What are they looking at? What do they seek to exclude from their sight? Editor: That’s fascinating. I had always just considered the Ukiyo-e tradition as a neutral observation, but it is, by your perspective, very active politically. I now appreciate it as more than just a beautiful scene! Curator: It reminds us that even seemingly innocuous depictions are imbued with socio-political weight. Looking closely and asking "who benefits" is vital. Editor: Thanks. It completely changes my understanding. I’ll never look at these prints the same way.