Geishas Dancing 19th-20th century

Curator: This photograph, titled “Geishas Dancing,” is an anonymous gelatin-silver print, placing it somewhere in the 19th or early 20th century. Editor: It feels suspended in time, doesn't it? That sepia tone washes over everything, softens the edges. There's something dreamlike and undeniably intimate about it, like stumbling upon a secret ritual. Curator: Yes, the print aligns with an increased interest in "genre painting" popular in Japanese Ukiyo-e traditions, that emphasized images of daily life and entertainment. Editor: Right, you feel the cultural distance. Though, these women almost seem to be performing for each other, as much as the photographer. The way the fans mimic each other…there’s a conversation happening there. One is seated playing music and two are dancing, each has unique expression and each moves or sit differently in different position! Curator: The institutional politics are fascinating here. Photography, as a relatively new medium, was employed to reinforce certain western perceptions of Japan at the time. It exoticized while simultaneously attempting to document. Editor: Makes you wonder about their own intentions being photographed and preserved. Who they are in real life. Does any of the captured reality reflect their truth, I mean. Curator: We also need to reflect that it can be read as exoticizing and commodifying women performing traditional entertainment forms, especially considering historical power dynamics. Editor: True. The layers here are endless, from artistic expression, cultural encounter, maybe social class even. Thank you for pointing all of this! It definitely shifts how I perceive the art now.