Stencil for Illustrated Don Quixote (Ehon Don Kihōte) Possibly 1936

Editor: This is Serizawa Keisuke's "Stencil for Illustrated Don Quixote," from the Harvard Art Museums. The stark contrast immediately grabs my attention. How does the choice of imagery relate to the story of Don Quixote? Curator: Interesting question. This print underscores how Don Quixote was received and reinterpreted through different cultural lenses. Serizawa reframes the tale within a Japanese aesthetic and perhaps critiques the universal impulse to reshape narratives according to our own values. Editor: So, it's not just an illustration, but a commentary on cultural interpretation itself? Curator: Precisely. It highlights how art can function as a mirror, reflecting not just the subject, but also the society that engages with it. I hadn’t thought of it that way before.