WOMAN SEATED ON RED BENCH 

Editor: Here we have Katsukawa Shunchō's woodblock print, *Woman Seated on Red Bench*. It feels so calm, yet something about the women's postures suggests underlying tension. What's your take on it? Curator: This work speaks volumes about the social status of women and their roles in 18th-century Japan. Woodblock prints like this often depicted courtesans or women of leisure. Consider the confined spaces they occupy, almost as objects for display. Do you feel a sense of agency or confinement within their elegant presentation? Editor: That's a great point; there is a sense of being confined to a role. Curator: Exactly. The composition, though beautiful, subtly reinforces societal expectations of women during that era. The print invites us to question the power dynamics at play. Editor: I see it now! It's not just a pretty picture, but a statement about women's position in society. Thanks!