The Actors Nakamura Kiyosaburo I as Matsuyama and Ichimura Kamezo I as Wanya Kyubei in the play "Yoritomo Gunbai Kagami," performed at the Ichimura Theater in the eleventh month, 1749 1749

Editor: This is "The Actors Nakamura Kiyosaburo I as Matsuyama and Ichimura Kamezo I as Wanya Kyubei in the play 'Yoritomo Gunbai Kagami,'" a woodcut print made by Ishikawa Toyonobu in 1749. The costumes are so intricate and visually striking, and I'm interested in learning more. What details stand out to you? Curator: Note the dynamic interplay between the figures and the objects. The umbrella creates an interesting tension, both visually grounding the subjects and flattening the picture plane, while its geometry opposes the curvature of their forms and elaborate drapery. Editor: So it's the interplay between shape and line you find compelling? Curator: Precisely. The artist masterfully employs line to delineate form and texture. Examine how the delicate lines of the umbrella contrast with the bolder outlines of the actors’ robes. Notice also the repeating patterns on the kimono, the subtle color gradations in the print; the artist coaxes form from two dimensions. The composition draws attention to surface, rhythm, and repetition. Editor: It's interesting how the flattening of the image almost gives it a contemporary, graphic feel, despite its age. Are the visual elements the main focus in Ukiyo-e? Curator: Thematic elements inhere in this specific print tradition, but these always interact with its technical vocabulary. Consider how the narrative element--two actors portraying roles--is subjugated to the exploration of pattern and line in space. These elements are interdependent, inseparable even, in considering the artwork. Editor: I never thought of prints as having so much texture before. I am going to spend more time focusing on form. Curator: An increased awareness of the technical aspects yields, in the end, an aesthetic sensibility open to historical and cultural elements.