Dutch Couple (Oranda koku), from an untitled series of foreigners with their flags, published by Izumiya Ichibei Possibly 1861

Editor: Here we have Utagawa Yoshikazu’s "Dutch Couple," a woodblock print. I find the flatness of the figures and the somewhat clashing colors quite striking. What do you see in this piece that perhaps I’m missing? Curator: The emphasis seems to reside in the formal arrangement of shapes and the interplay of textures. Note the contrast between the patterned textiles and the relatively plain backdrop. Consider how the composition draws attention to the materiality of the print itself. Editor: So, less about who they are and more about how they're presented? Curator: Precisely. We might ask, how does the artist use line and color to create a sense of depth, or rather, to deliberately flatten the image? Editor: I hadn't thought of it that way. Now I notice how the shapes and lines create a unique visual experience, even if the subjects seem flat.