Oiso 1906

Curator: The falling rain certainly gives "Oiso," a woodblock print created around 1906 by Utagawa Hiroshige, a distinct mood. The figures almost fade into the misty atmosphere. Editor: It's very gray! Not just in the overtone but even emotionally – there's a subdued quality achieved through the repetitive, almost rhythmic lines indicating rain. The materiality here is interesting too: to feel weather via ink on paper, so deliberately planned. Curator: The rain serves as a symbolic veil. This print belongs to a larger series depicting the fifty-three stations of the Tōkaidō road, and Oiso was a stop known for its challenging conditions, its windswept coastline. Editor: Yes, I see the evidence of labor, from carving the blocks to meticulously applying pigment. These weren't single objects but components in a much larger system of distribution and exchange. Ukiyo-e were almost mass-produced by contemporary standards. Curator: Each element holds a culturally recognizable association—the travelers, for instance. They embody resilience but also acknowledge a humble, temporary place within the wider universe. We find reflections of impermanence and peace. Editor: Absolutely. We can follow that process forward – consider where the pigments came from, how they were traded, who did the block-carving – a social narrative embedded into each stage, each print participating within these networks of making. Curator: Examining art allows us to explore collective identity and remember shared cultural touchstones. In "Oiso" we contemplate quiet strength despite transient challenges. Editor: Precisely! And "Oiso" helps ground what we understand of Japonisme, which involves both reverence and practical adaptation. It prompts further inquiry on these exchange mechanisms, even with pieces already residing in prominent museum settings such as this one, the Rijksmuseum.