Karukaya, from the series "Pictures of No Performances (Nogaku Zue)" 1898

Editor: This is "Karukaya," a print made in 1898 by Tsukioka Kogyo. The figures, especially the male one, look a bit imposing despite the softness of the printmaking. The cultural context is something I don't fully grasp. What stands out to you about this piece? Curator: I notice how Kogyo appropriates the traditional Ukiyo-e style, typically used for everyday life and landscapes, to represent a scene from Noh theatre. This immediately raises questions about the popularization of elite culture. Noh was, and still is to a degree, reserved for the upper classes. Editor: So, by creating these prints, Kogyo is sort of democratizing Noh? Curator: Precisely. Printmaking made the themes and figures accessible to a broader audience. Think about it: how does depicting theatrical performances, often funded and patronized by the elite, in a mass-producible format shift its cultural significance? Editor: That’s fascinating! So, while the subject matter might represent a certain level of society, the artwork itself is now part of a wider social conversation. Does the visual style, that classic Ukiyo-e, help with the popular appeal, or does it diminish the high-art status of Noh? Curator: I would argue it is a critical tool of popularisation. Consider how audiences already relate to the form. It cleverly rides on an established aesthetic. How can you translate tradition for a new audience and maintain interest? This is how! Editor: It's all so interconnected, the art, the audience, the history... it really does shift the entire meaning of the piece. Thanks for explaining this. Curator: Exactly! Hopefully, this is something listeners find helpful to contemplate further in future viewings of Japanese artworks.