Snoep rijstballetjes c. 1820 - 1830

Curator: Standing here, I find myself gazing at "Snoep rijstballetjes"—or Sweet Rice Dumplings—a charming drawing from around 1820-1830, crafted by Utagawa Kunisada. It’s done with ink and watercolor on paper. What strikes you first? Editor: It’s just incredibly delicate! A whisper of a composition. All these soft, hanging forms – are those fruits, maybe? They make me think of lanterns swaying gently in the breeze. Curator: You’re right, they resemble fruits hanging from branches, and notice the clusters of petals nestled at the bottom, each form precisely rendered, yet imbued with a sense of lightness, the essence of ukiyo-e, or "pictures of the floating world". Editor: Floating is absolutely the word for it. There's a kind of dreamlike quality – partially I am sure aided by the almost severe palette of off-whites, grays, umbers and muted greens and ochres, the carefully placed characters. What is so appealing is the open and unresolved and asymmetrical nature. The eye can’t decide where to settle. Curator: Absolutely. Kunisada plays with negative space, doesn’t he? Allowing the viewer’s eye to dance across the composition, and considering it is done with ink, a less forgiving medium, that's mastery. His handling of the watercolor washes creates depth, yet maintains an ethereal quality. The use of calligraphy elevates the artwork, creating movement between visual representation and text Editor: Yes, and the script interweaves, becoming as integral as the illustrated elements themselves! The eye reads it, then sees it again as shapes, adding layers of meaning, like little whispers on the breeze that you alluded to, carrying stories. Curator: The more I reflect on it, the more I see the rice dumplings almost as a metaphor of the ephemeral joys of life and yet here this memory is anchored and lives. Editor: It's as if Kunisada is suggesting everything in life is fleeting; observe it fully and in real-time, a transient pleasure. Curator: Very much, so. A bittersweet ode frozen on paper.