Cock Eyeing a Free-standing Screen Painted with Cock, Hen, and Chicks, from Spring Rain Surimono Album (Harusame surimono-jō), vol. 1 1813

Editor: So, we’re looking at a woodblock print by Yanagawa Shigenobu from 1813. It’s called "Cock Eyeing a Free-standing Screen Painted with Cock, Hen, and Chicks". It feels playful to me. What do you make of this piece? Curator: Oh, I adore Shigenobu! This little drama, the *mise en abyme* with the rooster gazing at a screen depicting his kin…it tickles me! The whole Spring Rain Surimono album is full of cleverness, a real wink at the viewer. See how the rooster almost steps *out* of the image, leaning forward as if in pursuit? He's positively *desperate* to cross the picture plane and make some mischief. Editor: Yes, the screen does draw the eye. There's a domestic feel to it that I find intriguing. Does the positioning mean anything in particular, the angle of the rooster? Curator: The angle, the tension...it’s all carefully considered! In *ukiyo-e*, such details are never accidental. It whispers of desire, perhaps even a sly commentary on the fleeting nature of beauty, since this *is* a print meant to commemorate Spring. Do you sense how that blank space in the paper contributes? It creates room for interpretation; is he looking forlornly, or perhaps playfully challenging himself, trying to "connect"? I also appreciate that Shigenobu makes room for verse… Editor: Interesting, I didn't consider the idea of “fleeting beauty." All this depth, just in one image, the layers within layers! Curator: Exactly! It’s less a simple depiction and more an invitation. The humour is such a joy, don’t you think? Editor: Absolutely! I’ll certainly look at *ukiyo-e* in a different way now, considering all those artistic possibilities. Curator: Me too! Perhaps that cock's cheeky curiosity has rubbed off on me. The beauty of Shigenobu makes us ask *ourselves* more!