Evening Bell Under the Entry Tower (Yagura shita no banshō), from the series Eight Views of Fukagawa (FÅ«zoku Fukagawa hakkei) 

Editor: Here we have Torii Kiyonaga's woodblock print, "Evening Bell Under the Entry Tower." The women have a lovely elegance about them. What story do you see being told here? Curator: This print offers a glimpse into the lives of women in the Edo period. Their elaborate kimonos, hairstyles, and even their elevated geta sandals speak to a certain social class. Their assured presence challenges the conventional narrative. Editor: How so? Curator: Well, consider the male gaze. It is absent. Kiyonaga presents these women not as objects of desire, but as active participants in their environment, perhaps engaging in commerce or simply enjoying the evening air. Editor: So the artist is centering female agency? Curator: Precisely. And through this centering, Kiyonaga subtly disrupts the dominant patriarchal structures of his time. Editor: I never thought about it that way. Thanks! Curator: My pleasure. Art is always a reflection of its socio-political context.