(Courtier and his servant viewing flowering plum) c. 1818

Editor: This print, "(Courtier and his servant viewing flowering plum)," from around 1818 by Shibata Gito, features ink on paper. It's just...so subtle, isn't it? Almost like a whispered secret. What strikes you most about this work? Curator: Whispered secrets, I love that. It’s got that delicate ukiyo-e aesthetic, for sure, a world floating by. The plum blossoms…they’re barely there, like a fleeting thought, a suggestion more than a solid depiction. I wonder, are the figures in the painting admiring the blossoms or are they preoccupied by thoughts of a different kind? Maybe the transience of beauty in everyday life and moments we share it with someone. Does it seem staged, like a theatrical set up or like a casual stroll that they may do daily, maybe that they enjoy daily? Editor: I hadn’t considered the servant’s perspective. Is he as captivated by the blossoms, or is his mind elsewhere, perhaps on his duties? The plum blossoms almost feel secondary, a backdrop to their relationship. Curator: Precisely. We impose meaning, but Gito is simply observing. Perhaps prompting us to think what kind of relationship these two figures may have or what kind of stories may come of this very interaction that we now are beholding. What could have brought them here? Is the interaction comfortable, stilted? Do we know their purpose? Editor: That's such a lovely way to frame it, the possibilities, that we ourselves now project a new history upon it. It reminds me that art isn’t fixed; it is dynamic. Curator: Exactly! A two way road between image and us, the eternal audience. Now tell me, after spending this time in its company, what new secret does it whisper to you?