Sushi and New Year’s Sake 1800 - 1820

Editor: So, here we have Ryūryūkyo Shinsai’s *Sushi and New Year’s Sake*, a woodblock print dating from around 1800-1820. I’m really struck by the delicacy of it all. It feels so intimate, like a peek into someone’s personal New Year's celebration. What leaps out at you when you see it? Curator: Ah, Shinsai! What a fabulous, observant fellow. It’s more than just sushi and sake, isn't it? It’s a captured moment, a quiet poem about enjoying life's simple pleasures. For me, the asymmetrical composition creates this beautiful tension – it’s dynamic and unexpected. Notice how the bold pattern of the sake cup draws your eye upwards, then pulls you back down to the more muted, textured sushi rolls. Does that imbalance create a unique visual for you, too? Editor: Yes, definitely! And I see now how the calligraphy balances the composition; at first it looked separate from the art. Was writing commonly incorporated this way? Curator: Absolutely! Think of it as another layer of the artist's expression, like adding another flavour to the sake. And Ukiyo-e prints like this one, especially those focusing on everyday life and pleasures, were becoming increasingly popular during that period. Do you see hints of humor in it, too? Perhaps even just a light poke at the high-brow arts by celebrating common delights? Editor: That's a cool idea! I hadn’t thought about that at all. This makes me look at it in a fresh light, like the piece celebrates a balance of everything: a painting filled with poetry, the high and the low brow... even sushi and sake together! Curator: Precisely! The genius is in making you *feel* that harmony and capturing it in a brief glimpse. What a delightful meal for the eyes and the mind!