No. 25, from the series Magic Lantern Slides of That Romantic Purple Figure (Sono sugata yukari no utsushi-e) c. 1847 - 1855

Curator: This woodblock print, "No. 25, from the series Magic Lantern Slides of That Romantic Purple Figure," is by Utagawa Kunisada. I see women here, by the shore, looking out on the ocean. There's a formal quality, yet something feels suspended. Editor: The figures seem almost theatrically posed. Given the title, I wonder if the “romantic purple figure” alludes to some idealized, absent male figure in their lives, perhaps a lover or husband. Curator: The "purple figure" is interesting; purple dye in Edo-period Japan was regulated and associated with status. These women are performing roles, constrained by class and gender. The ocean becomes a site of longing and expectation. Editor: Water often represents the unconscious, or the emotional body. In this setting, the ocean waves, depicted so distinctly, amplify the figures' emotions. It feels both beautiful and tragic. Curator: Yes, and there's an element of commodity here. "Magic Lantern Slides" points to a culture consumed by spectacle, even romance becomes a staged performance. Editor: Precisely. That the artist chose to highlight this play of identities speaks volumes about societal expectations. This tension is why the print remains so compelling.