Child Attendant and Bald Tengu of Mt. Kurama (Kaburo Kurama Tengu), no. 7 from a series of 12 prints depicting parodies of plays c. 1716s - 1726s

Curator: Before us is Okumura Masanobu’s print, "Child Attendant and Bald Tengu of Mt. Kurama", which dates to around the 1710s or 1720s. It's from a series parodying plays, executed in ink. Editor: Well, my first impression is...endearing chaos! There’s something really playful and charming about the whole scene. Curator: Note how Masanobu utilizes line to create form and spatial depth within a primarily monochromatic palette. The contrasting patterns in the figures’ robes and the precise rendering of the architectural setting, a delicate interplay of surface and depth, construct a coherent visual language. Editor: And that “language” tells a story, doesn't it? It feels like we've walked in on a private moment, a shared joke, a little rebellion, perhaps. The "Tengu," looks like a frustrated house husband trying to sweep while the others lounge, enjoying a welcome break. Curator: Yes, and if we observe carefully the "Tengu," is, iconographically speaking, presented humorously with his... diminishment of traditional associated powers! The figures themselves are spatially located using diagonal planes and perspective techniques common during the period. Editor: It's wonderfully subversive! What I especially love is the way he depicts these ordinary characters and somehow manages to make them almost legendary, maybe just because they’re relaxing when they ought to be doing housework. Curator: Quite. The artist masterfully juxtaposes the grand traditions with more grounded subject matter. This creates an atmosphere conducive for complex thematic interpretation via what might, at first observation, be taken as common images and narratives of their cultural moment. Editor: Looking at it makes me question what is “sacred” and what is “profane”. I reckon Masanobu would chuckle at that. What seems revolutionary today, could’ve simply been their truth, plainly spoken—or rather, drawn. Curator: The compositional rigor and visual acuity undeniably ground the work within important lineages. Editor: Absolutely. I'll think about how playfulness is another name for deep wisdom, next time I’m sweeping.