Parting of Lovers: The Morning After 1755 - 1780

Editor: This is "Parting of Lovers: The Morning After," a woodblock print by Suzuki Harunobu from sometime between 1755 and 1780. It feels… intimate, and melancholic, like capturing a private moment. The colors are so soft, almost faded. What sort of visual cues can you interpret from the objects in this work? Curator: Well, consider the very Japanese art of suggestion here. Note how the rumpled bedding, combined with the title, tells us so much about what has occurred. Think of the long-standing artistic and literary traditions where these images of fleeting pleasure are enshrined. Does the female figure's tentative gesture towards her departing lover remind you of any historical artistic conventions, say, images of courtesans sending off samurai? What might this suggest about societal expectations? Editor: It’s interesting how much is implied. It’s as if the print acknowledges a much broader history of art while distilling an individual human connection. How does the medium of the woodblock print factor into its meaning? Curator: Exactly. The woodblock print allowed for the dissemination of such images, and they carried a significant emotional and psychological charge. They acted as mirrors and aspirational guides for those who collected them. Reflect on the contrast between the intimate scene and the widespread accessibility afforded by the medium. This reveals a complex negotiation of desire and social boundaries. Does the print’s very existence, as a widely circulated image, complicate its intimate nature, do you think? Editor: I guess it does make you consider the relationship between public image and private life in a new way. It makes this piece so much more meaningful. Curator: Precisely. It demonstrates that images resonate far beyond the surface and are so intricately woven into the fabric of cultural memory.