See no Evil, from the series See no Evil, Speak no Evil and Hear no Evil

Curator: This is Keisai Eisen's "See No Evil," part of a larger series exploring that familiar proverb. It's undated, but we know Eisen was active in the first half of the 19th century. Editor: Oh, it's charming! I love the way the figures are positioned, sort of weaving between the river and all that text floating above. It feels like a lovely, ordinary day. Curator: Right, and that sense of everyday life is deliberate. Eisen's prints often depicted courtesans and fashionable city dwellers. The series subtly comments on societal expectations of willful ignorance. Editor: Willful ignorance, huh? Well, maybe they just didn't want to see me attempt to paint! Though seriously, I get it. Sometimes, not knowing is… easier. Curator: The composition is particularly interesting when considering the context of censorship at the time. Editor: So, the image both conceals and reveals? Very clever. Makes you wonder what other hidden stories are just out of sight. Curator: Precisely. The print prompts us to think about the visual politics of 19th-century Japan. Editor: I'm leaving with a slightly different view on "ignorance" now. It's strangely powerful in its own way.