Picking Young Pine Trees (in the Year of the Snake, 1797) Possibly 1797

Curator: This is "Picking Young Pine Trees (in the Year of the Snake, 1797)" by Tawaraya Sōri, part of the Harvard Art Museums collection. It’s a small woodblock print on paper. Editor: It feels like a fleeting moment, so gentle. The figures seem absorbed in this quiet landscape, almost like a dream. Curator: These prints, often mass-produced, were part of a thriving urban culture. Notice Mount Fuji in the distance—an emblem of Japan. Editor: And the year designation, 'Year of the Snake'—connecting the artwork to cyclical time, grounding it. Does that suggest a celebration of the new year? Curator: Precisely. The pine trees symbolize longevity, making it a New Year's image, wishing for a long life. Editor: Seeing it this way, it almost transforms into a little prayer captured on paper. Curator: It’s like a snapshot of everyday life elevated through art, isn't it? Editor: Absolutely, a small window into another time, another sensibility.