Persimmon and Cicada, with poem by Chikujin (or Takehito) Edo period,

Editor: This print, attributed to Hokusai, features a persimmon being eaten by a cicada! There's also a poem by Chikujin included in the artwork. It's lovely, quiet, but with a hint of drama. How do you interpret this scene? Curator: I see a fleeting moment, captured with incredible sensitivity. The cicada, a symbol of summer's end in Japanese art, clinging to the persimmon, a fruit representing autumn... It's a beautiful meditation on the passage of time, don’t you think? Almost a melancholy sweetness. Editor: It is! That contrast adds a layer I hadn't considered. Curator: The poem, if deciphered, might offer another layer. Food for thought, and for the cicada! Editor: Absolutely, it gives a deeper connection to the artwork.