Shin Yoshiwara Magic Scene Possibly 1866

Editor: This is Utagawa Yoshitsuya's woodblock print, "Shin Yoshiwara Magic Scene." It's packed with bizarre imagery. I’m getting a chaotic vibe. What do you make of it all? Curator: It’s a topsy-turvy world, isn’t it? I see a commentary on social hierarchies. The rodents, dressed as humans, enjoying the spoils while the humans are in disarray. Imagine the artist chuckling to himself as he carved this. What does the inversion of roles suggest to you? Editor: Maybe it's poking fun at the elite? Like, even rats can live large if they're in charge. Curator: Precisely! Or perhaps a darker reflection on the fleeting nature of power. Made me think of my cat, Mittens, she thinks she owns the place. Editor: I'll never look at woodblock prints the same way again. Curator: Me neither, and I've been doing this for years!