BOATING ON EDO BAY c. 1765 - 1770

Curator: This is Suzuki Harunobu’s “Boating on Edo Bay,” currently residing at the Harvard Art Museums. The soft colors give it a serene, almost dreamlike quality. Editor: The pastel hues and everyday subject matter belies the rigid social hierarchy of Edo-era Japan, doesn't it? What do we know about Harunobu's workshops and the laborers involved? Curator: The printmaking process itself, with multiple woodblocks for each color, suggests a collective effort in production and a burgeoning consumer market for these images. Editor: And shouldn't we consider the identities presented? The figures, especially the woman with the elaborate headdress, invite questions about gender roles and social expectations of the time. Curator: It's fascinating how Harunobu captures fleeting moments of leisure, but within a structured and crafted materiality. Editor: Indeed, looking at this today is also to consider the broader social and political landscape in which it was produced and consumed. Curator: An interesting discussion! Editor: Agreed.