Shinagawa 1847 - 1852

Curator: Oh, isn't that interesting? "Shinagawa," a woodblock print by Utagawa Hiroshige, made sometime between 1847 and 1852. Editor: It feels a little melancholy, doesn't it? Those gnarled pines reaching like… almost supplicating arms towards that muted sunset. Curator: Absolutely. It’s a landscape, but really, it’s a meditation on the fleeting nature of time and journeys. Note the travelers on the road; small figures dwarfed by nature's grandeur. Editor: And that torii gate – it pulls the eye and speaks volumes. Gates, thresholds…places in-between and betwixt are so important, you know? Curator: Definitely! A marker between the mundane and the sacred. This print is a key example of *ukiyo-e,* "pictures of the floating world". That concept links the transient world to nature's constants and spirituality. Editor: Those constant pines! They must have witnessed the road since ancient times. See how they seem to stand sentinel over the procession? Guardians, if you will. Curator: Indeed. This piece showcases Hiroshige's masterful use of line and color to evoke mood. The soft gradations create a serene yet slightly somber atmosphere. Editor: Somber is right. Those muted colours, they seem to seep into one's soul like twilight into a room. But somehow hopeful? The small figures have a journey ahead. The sun is also coming up on the horizon! Curator: So very true! And so, perhaps that journey ahead for viewers today is to embrace change while recognising these landmarks remind us that cycles bring light into shadow, time and again. Editor: In closing I see this Shinagawa is speaking of enduring memories while also promising us something akin to rebirth and renewal. What a powerful message within one picture.