PRINT 

Editor: This is Utagawa Kunisada's PRINT, housed at Harvard Art Museums. It depicts figures caught in a downpour. I'm struck by the vulnerability of the figures. How do you interpret this work within its historical context? Curator: Considering the Edo period, Kunisada's print can be viewed through the lens of social hierarchy and gender roles. Note the contrast between the sheltered figures and the exposed man. What power dynamics do you see at play? Editor: I see the umbrella offering privilege, but also a reliance on another, highlighting perhaps the societal dependencies. Curator: Precisely! It makes me think of those rendered invisible through labor, and those protected by it. Editor: It’s fascinating how a seemingly simple scene reveals so much about societal structure. Curator: Indeed. Visual culture provides a language for understanding power and identity.