Six Superior Men of Reiraka 1800 - 1868

Curator: This captivating woodblock print is titled "Six Superior Men of Reiraka," created by Yashima Gakutei sometime between 1800 and 1868. Editor: Immediately, the print strikes me as rather intimate, despite the historical remove. The soft colours, and the arrangement of the figures almost seem conversational. Curator: Precisely! Gakutei was operating within the Ukiyo-e tradition, but works like this offer more than just pretty scenes. They present idealized models of behaviour. Depicting these men together served a didactic purpose. Editor: The patterning in their robes is just gorgeous. Notice how varied each design is and consider the craftsmanship involved in creating that many distinct woodblocks. It's like fabric swatches immortalized. And the almost overwhelming botanical background, how might this speak of class, production or taste? Curator: Good questions. These men would likely have belonged to the literati, men of learning and leisure. A work such as this emphasizes refinement through the depiction of clothing and the leisure to pursue philosophical thought. The background underscores that point; the scene speaks to the elite culture these men inhabited, literally a garden. Editor: Still, I’m intrigued by the idea of ‘superior’ men. Is that just the artist pandering to nobility or are there some alternative readings, regarding a potentially shared or alternative interest around social equality? Curator: I think it reflects the artist operating within a hierarchical society. Certainly, the 'superiority' suggested here has class connotations. While later Ukiyo-e would feature commoners more prominently, here it speaks of power. Gakutei, as an artist, relies on the patronage of that system to produce works like this in the first place. Editor: Food for thought on patronage, labor, and representation… I appreciate the close attention paid to materials and class embedded here, within a world that so often goes unseen. Curator: Exactly, understanding the society informs our appreciation for how images reinforced societal values.