Two Women Looking in Mirrors 19th century

Editor: So, this is Kubo Shunman’s “Two Women Looking in Mirrors,” from the 19th century. It’s a print, currently hanging at the Met. It has a real air of intimacy about it; it feels like we’re catching a glimpse of a private moment. What strikes you most about this piece? Curator: You’ve picked up on that feeling of intimacy perfectly. For me, it's about layers, quite literally! The layering of patterns on their kimonos, the layering of gazes between the women and their reflections. It's like a visual puzzle box. The mirrors themselves aren’t just tools for vanity, are they? They’re almost portals, windows into different versions of the self. Editor: That's a cool interpretation. I guess I hadn't thought about them as portals. What about the poetry inscribed on the print? Does that add another layer, maybe another reflection? Curator: Precisely! The calligraphy is essential – it adds a whole other dimension. Think of it as a commentary, a song even. The poem likely alludes to fleeting beauty or perhaps the nature of appearances. Imagine the sound of their voices… Maybe one is reciting the poem as the other admires herself? It is so easy to see the mirrors, clothes, and bodies without looking more closely. Editor: So, it's not just about the visual; it’s also about the imagined soundscape, and what’s going unsaid? Like a secret language between the two figures. Curator: Exactly. It makes me wonder: What stories are these women telling themselves? The viewer gets to partake in these unspoken words. And isn't that part of the thrill? Editor: Definitely gives me a new appreciation for what ukiyo-e prints can do! It's not just an image; it's a whole world of suggestion. Curator: Absolutely. And in those fleeting, suggestive glimpses, we often find the deepest reflections. It all contributes to that wonderful sense of wonder!