Two Women in Street Attire, from the series Twelve Costumes for Women (Fūzoku jūnitsue)

Curator: Immediately, one notes the elegant restraint. The lines are so clean, the composition refined. Editor: It feels more like a fashion plate than fine art. Look at the detail in those textiles though. You can almost feel the weight of the fabric. Curator: Indeed. We’re looking at a print titled "Two Women in Street Attire," by Torii Kiyonaga. It’s part of a series called "Twelve Costumes for Women," currently held at the Harvard Art Museums. Editor: I wonder about the labor involved in creating those patterns. The dyeing process alone must have been incredibly involved. Curator: The stark contrast between the bold black and the delicate orange certainly draws the eye—a formal study in contrasts. Editor: For me, it’s about the story woven into those clothes, the lives of the people who made them, and the women who wore them. Curator: A fascinating point, and one which enhances my appreciation of Kiyonaga's design. Editor: Exactly. It’s all connected.