Vier geisha's vergezellen twee mannen in een theehuis in Japan c. 1896 - 1906

Here we see a photograph by Kōzaburō Tamamura that stages a scene in what appears to be a Japanese Tea House. I’m curious about the space between the two men who have an unusually large distance between them that none of the women share. I also find it interesting that one of the geishas is given more importance due to her lighter lilac coloured kimono. Maybe Tamamura was thinking about how to stage a space with people that gives it a certain kind of story. It's like he's saying, "Okay, how can I create a scene that feels both candid and composed?" He's arranging people like shapes, considering their poses and interactions, like I do when I am painting. I'd love to know what the two men are talking about. What’s fascinating to me is how each artist contributes to this evolving visual language of interpersonal dynamics – a conversation across time and place, inspiring each other to see and represent the world in new, unpredictable ways.