Wisps of Cloud (Usugumo), Illustration to Chapter 19 of the Tale of Genji (Genji monogatari) c. 1509 - 1510

Curator: This is "Wisps of Cloud," an illustration from the Tale of Genji, created by Tosa Mitsunobu. I find the way perspective is handled here particularly striking. Editor: It's as though we're glimpsing a secret world. The tilted viewpoint and hazy gold leaf create this feeling of intimacy but also distance. Curator: Exactly. That gold leaf is intriguing—it's used to depict the titular clouds but also seems to dissolve the boundaries of the scene. What might those clouds represent? Editor: Clouds are liminal spaces. Here, they could symbolize the fleeting nature of beauty or the emotional distance between characters in the Genji. Thinkers have called them the veil of Maya, where something is half seen, half known, in the twilight space where the unknown, is finally known. Curator: That's a beautiful way to put it. The women inside seem caught in a delicate tableau, their emotions veiled as well. Editor: Yes, all very deliberate. It's as if the artist wanted us to consider the layers of meaning hidden beneath the surface. It's certainly been a pleasure reflecting on this piece with you. Curator: Indeed. It's a reminder that great art often whispers its secrets rather than shouting them.