Mimasaka Province, Yamabushi Valley (Mimasaka, Yamabushidani), from the series Famous Places in the Sixty-odd Provinces [of Japan] ([Dai Nihon] RokujÅ«yoshÅ« meisho zue) Possibly 1853 - 1856

Curator: This is Utagawa Hiroshige's "Mimasaka Province, Yamabushi Valley," part of his series, "Famous Places in the Sixty-odd Provinces." I’m so moved by the stark depiction of a sudden downpour! Editor: You're right, it's quite dramatic. The diagonal lines really convey the intensity of the rain, almost obscuring the figures scrambling for cover. Curator: Exactly! The heavy rain seems to flatten the landscape, making us consider how weather patterns might change our relationship with nature, particularly in pilgrimage. Editor: The vulnerable position of the people in the landscape is so interesting. They are exposed. It makes me think about the unequal impacts of climate change on marginalized communities. Curator: Ah, yes, the figures become tiny agents amid greater elemental forces. Editor: Hiroshige pushes us to contemplate our precarious place within both the natural world and the socio-political one. Curator: It certainly does! What a gorgeous way to look at the intersection of nature and personhood.