PRINT c. 20th century

Editor: This is a print by Keisai Eisen, simply titled "Print," currently residing at the Harvard Art Museums. The flat planes and decorative elements feel distinctly Japanese, but there's also something a little unsettling about the woman's gaze. How do you read this piece? Curator: Unsettling, you say? I feel that. Eisen was a master of ukiyo-e, capturing the fleeting beauty of everyday life. But look closer. That decorative gourd shape, framed with cherry blossoms, it's a *tokiwazu* frame. It suggests performance, a staged persona. Is she truly present, or performing a role? Perhaps she is performing a role. Editor: So, the "unsettling" feeling might be a commentary on the artificiality of performance? Curator: Exactly. It makes me wonder what truths, or vulnerabilities, might lie beneath the surface. It's a beautiful masquerade, isn't it? Editor: Definitely gives me a lot to think about! I'll never look at a geisha portrait the same way.