Seated Woman 

Curator: Let’s turn our attention to this subtle print, "Seated Woman," a Japanese woodblock of unknown origin currently residing here at the Harvard Art Museums. Editor: It has such a quiet feel, doesn't it? Like a stolen moment, almost dreamlike, with that raised platform lifting her above the everyday. I immediately want to know what she's writing. Curator: The process of creating such a print is fascinating; consider the labor involved in carving the blocks for each color, the paper production, the distribution. Editor: Knowing it's anonymous, I wonder about her story and the artist’s. What did the act of creation mean to them both, in that time? It's like holding a whisper from the past. Curator: And whispers are all we have, in a way. The materiality of this piece—paper, ink, wood—speaks to a specific social and economic context of production and consumption. Editor: For me, it's more intimate. The angle, the gesture, the almost faded hues…It feels like a memory itself, softened and precious. I'm grateful we can spend a moment with it.