Stingray and Gurnard 1815

Curator: Here we have Ryūryūkyo Shinsai's "Stingray and Gurnard," a watercolor print from 1815, residing here at the Metropolitan Museum of Art. What strikes you first? Editor: The delicate texture and near palpable quality of the skin. I am drawn to think of the fisherman, the markets, the material processes involved in bringing these creatures into a final image. Curator: Indeed, Shinsai's composition plays on contrasts. Consider the smooth, almost geometric form of the stingray against the more detailed, almost stern expression of the gurnard. The ray is pale and soft while the gurnard, darker and scaly, offers an interesting visual interplay of color and line. Editor: Absolutely. And thinking about the physical labor... the fishing itself, the preparation of the pigments from mineral sources or even soot. Then, each print created is an impression of hand-carved blocks— a direct registration of human work, bearing in mind the multiple impressions created in the studio for commercial and artistic use. Curator: The subtle gradations in tone and color, achieved through careful layering of the watercolor washes, exemplify sophisticated printmaking for its time. There’s an evocative use of empty space too, a typical hallmark of ukiyo-e prints which further enhances the work's quiet, contemplative mood. Editor: Precisely, consider the implied exchange in material and effort: from ocean to print shop, fish to image. I imagine an artist, a publisher, possibly many apprentices, all involved in the movement of making these prints. And later the work for patrons to share it or merchants who resell these works. It adds to the complex exchange of commodities. Curator: Yes, Shinsai deftly explores both the concrete reality and abstract possibilities of representation within his very refined structural vocabulary. Editor: Shinsai creates a tangible picture that lets the everyday world connect across spaces and cultures, doesn’t he? Curator: Precisely, and a world expressed not only in aesthetic form but with sophisticated material means.