Two Women Washing Their Hair c. 1767 - 1768

Curator: This is Suzuki Harunobu's "Two Women Washing Their Hair." Editor: I'm immediately drawn to the woodblock's texture and muted colors; it feels so intimate and domestic. Curator: Harunobu was a leading printmaker of the Edo period, celebrated for his full-color prints depicting daily life. Editor: The attention to the women's garments, the simple wooden tub, and the bamboo blind all speak to the labor involved in creating this image. Curator: Absolutely. Harunobu's work often portrays idealized visions of urban life, subtly commenting on the changing social roles of women. The eroticism is rather muted. Editor: Right, the materials employed here are not just artistic choices, but also signifiers of class and the increasing commodification of everyday life through art. Curator: The way this work captures a private moment and offers it to the public gaze is remarkable, even today. Editor: Thinking about the labor of the printers, carvers, and even the women depicted, allows us to see the print's production in a new way.