First Meeting (Miai), from the series "Twelve Stages of Matrimony (Konrei juni shiki)" c. 1775

Curator: This print, "First Meeting (Miai), from the series "Twelve Stages of Matrimony," created around 1775 by Torii Kiyonaga, offers us a glimpse into Japanese social customs of the late 18th century. The Art Institute of Chicago holds this particular woodblock print. Editor: It’s funny; seeing it now, it’s got this hushed anticipation, but a subtle playfulness too! The soft colors—pale yellows, grays, and browns—create a mood of restrained excitement, and then you spot the chicken... strutting in like it owns the place. Curator: Precisely! The composition draws us in with these figures arranged across the picture plane; observe their stylized gestures, the cascading folds of their garments rendered with meticulous lines. Editor: I love how the artist uses line. Each figure almost seems defined by flowing strokes, less like portraits, and more like... melodic shapes fitting together, right? The chicken is great, though! Is there something to say that a fowl can stand against such beautiful creatures. Curator: Yes. As an example of Ukiyo-e, this work reflects the aesthetics of its time. These genre scenes offered idealized representations of daily life and theatricality, popular amongst the merchant classes. But look closer, there's tension in those slightly bowed heads! They're about to take a life changing decision Editor: Mmm...it makes you think, doesn't it? To them, their lives were as dramatic as ours are today... only quieter... the colors, so soothing, speak of serenity, even if arranged marriage to us is more terrifying! But a little chicken pecking about! He reminds me of an absurdist stage show! It's like Beckett suddenly wandered into an 18th century parlor. Curator: What this work does so expertly is communicate both formality and spontaneity. The subtle gradations within the woodblock printing also contribute significantly to the work’s sense of depth, wouldn't you say? The composition seems stage-like. Editor: Yeah! From one single piece you can understand something beyond representation. The artwork lets our brain and imagination mingle and go elsewhere. We see how social standards were more solid in the past but their emotional lives weren't. Now the chickens are free to mingle with who they wish, and maybe nothing's changed at all... it's something really interesting!