Midas Possibly 1965

Curator: Hideo Hagiwara's "Midas" immediately strikes me with its stark contrasts and dreamlike quality. Editor: This print, currently held at the Harvard Art Museums, invites us to consider the economic anxieties and social transformations of Hagiwara's time. Curator: Absolutely. The process here, likely woodblock printing, is crucial. The texture and the way the image emerges from the block itself mirrors Midas's transformative touch. It speaks to the labor involved in image creation. Editor: I see the repeating motifs—those leaves, for instance—less as symbolic and more as formal devices, creating a visual rhythm that pushes the eye upwards, emphasizing the subject's gaze. Curator: Perhaps, but doesn't the title itself, "Midas," suggest a commentary on the dangers of unchecked desire and the corrupting influence of wealth, especially within postwar Japan? Editor: Indeed. However, without a firm date, assigning direct social commentary becomes speculative. The composition alone, with the face looming large, conveys a sense of overwhelming presence. Curator: I find it haunting and thought-provoking, this connection between ancient myth and the modern anxieties of production. Editor: For me, it is an exploration of form, line, and the emotional weight of a face rendered with such intensity.