Timeless Beauty

"Timeless" can refer to something that is not restricted to a particular time period or age. It also describes things that are enduring, ageless, and unaffected by time. Using prints from the last three decades of the 18c down to modern times, spanning the Edo (1600–1868), Meiji (1868–1912), Taisho (1912–1926) and Showa (1926–1989) eras, this exhibition looks at the genre called "bijinga," or pictures of female beauties, from both vantage points. On one hand it allows one to compare which aspects artists from different periods seized upon as markers of feminine grace and attractiveness. On the other, it includes prints that have been damaged over time but that still retain appreciable elements of beauty. Although it might take work on the part of the viewer to turn back the pages of time, it is a rewarding endeavor.