Fuji from Senbon Beach 1929

"Fuji from Senbon Beach" by Shotei Takahashi; a print capturing a landscape with boats on a shore, Mt. Fuji in the background. It’s all about colour here – blues, browns, greens, soft peachy hues. The image feels grounded, composed. I wonder, what was it like to carve the woodblocks for this print? What kind of studio did he have? What was the light like in that studio? Did he stop to look out the window? Did he take a walk on the beach for inspiration? These colours are so atmospheric, they remind me of Japanese textile design. It’s interesting how the water becomes abstract, just an indication of waves. The mark-making here is like a form of shorthand. I love the texture on the boats and the woven basket on the beach; everything feels solid and tactile. It is as though the artist has turned an intimate glance into a landscape scene. And, of course, all artists are looking at each other, responding to each other, across time. Takahashi probably looked at other artists like Hokusai and Hiroshige, thinking about what they did, how they did it, and bringing his own perspective to the tradition.