Kanbara 1855

Curator: This woodblock print, “Kanbara,” was created by Utagawa Hiroshige in 1855. Editor: It's striking how calm it feels. Even the colours are soothing – all those blues and greens. Almost dreamlike. Curator: It is a notable piece of Ukiyo-e art, a genre flourishing in Japan that frequently focused on landscape scenes like this one. You can see its engagement with popular leisure and travel through its depiction of everyday life. Editor: Yeah, I see a handful of people dotted about. The whole scene is super peaceful, even the little figures going about their business on the beach. Like looking at a snow globe town. I wonder what the artist was trying to say, if anything, about man versus nature. Curator: These prints were consumed as commercial objects and this one engages the romanticisation of rural life, particularly amongst the emerging urban middle class, although it probably serves more to reinforce their aspiration of rural retreat more than the actuality of peasant toil. Editor: That's such a western perspective. Is it possible to have more faith in its integrity as well as its artistic value? Not everything needs to be ironic! Look at how precisely everything is laid out, and how harmonious all the elements are. To my mind this makes it so much more interesting! It draws us into this place in a way a straightforward photograph wouldn’t. Curator: Perhaps the appeal of this picture resides in a sense of stability as Japan opened its ports, creating both nationalistic tension and an escape into romanticized landscapes. This period in Japanese history sought for internal stability, particularly among those not positioned within elite echelons, as feudal Japan fell by the wayside, making landscapes a safe means to understand their environment. Editor: Well, regardless of the context, and your insightful perspective on it all, this is the type of artwork that draws me in. It almost urges you to daydream…to allow yourself a moment of tranquility! Curator: Certainly. Reflecting on its socio-political circumstances of creation and reception does reveal something powerful in this idyllic Japanese landscape print by Utagawa Hiroshige.