Nude 1906

Fujishima Takeji made this painting, Nude, using brushes, oil paint, and probably a lot of patience. I can imagine Fujishima carefully building up the layers, one on top of the other, each stroke adding to the luminous quality. This is not one of those paintings that tries to convince you it's a photograph, it embraces the medium and its capacity to communicate the artist's feeling, intention, and meaning. What might he have been thinking? I imagine he was thinking about the history of painting, of course, but also about the specific weight and texture of the paint as he applied it to the canvas. Maybe he was thinking about light and shadow, and how to capture the way they dance across the curves of the model's body? The model’s gaze is cast downward, an echo of countless other paintings. We are all in conversation with each other, aren't we? We all lift and borrow and steal from each other!