Five Pictures of Low Tide, "Woman Beside an Anchor with a Flounder" 

Curator: This woodblock print is titled "Woman Beside an Anchor with a Flounder," by Utagawa Kuniyoshi. It’s part of a series called "Five Pictures of Low Tide," and it's currently housed at the Harvard Art Museums. Editor: It's like a dream, all soft edges and muted tones, even though it's just black and white. The woman herself seems startled, caught between realities. Curator: Kuniyoshi was very savvy about the public's appetite for the bizarre, so he frequently played with folklore and ghost stories, using conventions like dramatic poses to heighten the tension. Editor: She's holding a flounder, right? And what is that behind her, some kind of...creature? But she also has a knife. Is she prey, or predator? I like the ambiguity. Curator: The fish and the anchor are symbols related to the sea, and the woman's attire suggests someone of higher status, perhaps on an unusual outing. Kuniyoshi was commenting on social boundaries, questioning traditional roles through these prints. Editor: So, it's not just a pretty picture; there's a whole world of social commentary tucked in there. Makes you see the image—and the woman—in a whole new light.