THE FIFTY-THREE STATIONS OF THE TOKAIDO, "MITSUKE TENRYU-GAWA NO DZU" c. 19th century

Curator: Hiroshige's ukiyo-e print, "Mitsuke Tenryu-gawa no zu," from his "Fifty-Three Stations of the Tokaido" series, depicts a scene of travelers crossing a wide river. I find the subtle gradations of color quite striking. Editor: It's deceptively calm, isn't it? The figures are so small against the vastness, yet the river crossing was fraught with social and economic implications for those on the move. Think of gendered labor, class divisions... Curator: Precisely. This was a liminal space, but one also regulated by the Tokugawa shogunate's policies. Travel wasn't simply leisure; it was entangled with power dynamics. Editor: The boats themselves can be interpreted as symbols of transit and transformation, but also of possible precarity. Curator: Indeed, a seemingly serene landscape filled with complexities. Thank you for illuminating these crucial layers. Editor: The pleasure was all mine.