Cat Tails and Moon 1807 - 1868

Editor: So, here we have "Cat Tails and Moon" by Shibata Zeshin, sometime between 1807 and 1868. It's a watercolor. It's strikingly simple, but somehow… evocative. What do you see when you look at it? Curator: Evocative is the word! For me, it’s like a whispered memory, almost dreamlike. The way Zeshin captured the moon - it's not a brilliant, stark light, but rather muted and veiled. Feels melancholic, right? Like a poem. And those cat tails...they remind me of little secrets poking up from the marsh. What does the moon evoke in you, I wonder? Editor: It's very calming, I agree. The moon makes me think of nighttime stories. Does the plant being in the foreground have any meaning, and do you notice the background? Curator: Ah, the foreground, yes. Placing the cat tails front and center makes them actors in this quiet drama. And that background – isn't it lovely? The mottled, almost aged texture gives a sense of depth. I bet you it hints to Wabi-sabi: an acceptance of transience and imperfection! Like things worn from natural processes are more interesting and beautiful. Do you feel that? Editor: It gives an aesthetic. But there's something else to the plant being placed so distinctly too right? What does placing the object front and center achieve compositionally for paintings from the period? Curator: Exactly. That deliberate placement forces your gaze, almost as if you're discovering a hidden world. And for ukiyo-e at the time, often printed on woodblocks with multiple carvers, you'd get more natural imperfection, something sought after at the time too! This watercolor style gave more control to one artist, offering new intimacy to those old themes of nature. That little touch of imperfection! Editor: Interesting! I had never considered the role of ukiyo-e artists as that hands-on before, nor how its effect led to modern pieces such as these. Thanks. Curator: Always a pleasure to ponder the moon's reflection with a fellow traveler.