Snow (Winter) c. 1887

Editor: This photograph, "Snow (Winter)" by Adolfo Farsari, is so serene. I'm curious, what does it evoke for you? Curator: I see a constructed narrative, a picturesque Japan tailored for Western consumption. Farsari, an Italian businessman turned photographer, profited from orientalist desires. How does knowing this shift your reading of its serenity? Editor: It complicates it. The beauty is still there, but it's framed by commerce and cultural exchange, or perhaps exploitation? Curator: Exactly. The image becomes a site of power dynamics, reflecting the unequal relationship between the West and Japan during that period. Editor: I hadn't considered that. Thanks, I'll definitely look at these images with a different lens from now on. Curator: Glad I could help, it's always important to think critically about the context in which art is made and consumed.