Geese Homing at Katada c. 1900 - 1930

This woodblock print, "Geese Homing at Katada," was made by Utagawa Hiroshige, but we don't know exactly when. Look at those geese! Their descent feels both precise and spontaneous. I see how the blue of the water deepens from top to bottom, anchoring the composition. The placement of the temple and the boat creates a lovely balance and harmony. The layering of the water, the trees and temple at the bottom, the mountain in the midground and the sky creates an illusion of depth. I’m drawn to the way Hiroshige uses line and block color to construct a sense of place. The shapes are simple, almost abstract, yet they evoke a specific atmosphere. It reminds me a bit of Morandi, in that way, how he could capture the essence of a thing with just a few carefully chosen marks. Ultimately, though, this piece invites us to slow down, to contemplate the beauty of the everyday, and to find solace in the fleeting moments of the natural world.