Gyōsai's Discourses on Painting (Gyōsai gadan), vol. 3 Possibly 1887

Editor: This is Kawanabe Kyōsai's "Gyōsai's Discourses on Painting, vol. 3," from the Harvard Art Museums. It looks like a crowded studio scene, rendered in ink. What's your read on the public role of an image like this? Curator: It's fascinating to consider how Kyōsai's pedagogy is being presented here. Note the implied viewer: are they included within this active art world, or are they separated and observing? The image seems to place the viewer as an outsider. Editor: That's interesting. I hadn’t thought of the image creating a kind of barrier. Curator: And isn’t that curious? It begs the question: who was the intended audience for such an exclusive view? The politics of imagery are always worth investigating. Editor: I’ll definitely keep that in mind when looking at art!