Matsugae Sekinosuke Glowering at a Rat 1866

Curator: This is "Matsugae Sekinosuke Glowering at a Rat" by Tsukioka Yoshitoshi, created in 1866. It's a woodblock print. What strikes you most about it? Editor: I'm fascinated by the sheer intensity of the figure's expression. He's absolutely scowling! And the rat seems almost comical by comparison. The text surrounding them both is inscrutable to me though. What do you see in this piece that might help me understand the relationship between these seemingly disparate elements? Curator: The glowering figure, Matsugae Sekinosuke, is a figure from Suikoden, a popular Chinese novel that became a cornerstone of Japanese art and theatre. His exaggerated expression connects to the emotional power of the images and serves as a means to understand universal struggles and archetypes. The rat, though seemingly comical, might signify something specific as well, a subtle enemy, treachery perhaps? It reminds us of the weight that these figures and even animals carried as vehicles of moral and historical narratives. Editor: So, the rat isn't just a random animal; it's symbolic. And his anger references cultural memory from Suikoden… I hadn't considered that the symbols are building upon those cultural foundations. Curator: Precisely. Yoshitoshi is drawing upon well-established visual codes to evoke certain feelings and associations within the viewer, but he isn't afraid to inject his own, very potent, expressive interpretation. Editor: So, it’s almost like Yoshitoshi is playing with our understanding of these figures, leveraging them as shorthand to evoke emotions and meanings? Curator: You've hit upon a central point. Images build cultural bridges. Yoshitoshi relies upon this visual language to comment upon larger themes: betrayal, anger, but also humor, courage, vulnerability – themes that resonate across time and cultures. He shows how those symbols get remade and revised with time. Do you see how the text contributes to these impressions too? Editor: It feels less like a narrative and more like labels reinforcing the character’s persona… I understand now how seemingly simple depictions of recognizable figures can unlock broader understandings about us. I never thought a woodblock print of an angry man and a rat could be so profound.