Rain Paris (A) 1960

Kiyoshi Saito made this print of Paris in the rain using wood blocks. Look at how he’s coaxed such a rich scene out of just a few tones. You can almost feel the dampness in the air. I imagine Saito carefully carving each block, thinking about light and shadow, about the way rain distorts our vision. Doesn't it make you wonder what he was thinking about as he was layering the ink onto the blocks? Maybe he was remembering a rainy day in Paris, the way the light filters through the clouds, the sound of footsteps on wet pavement. I wonder if he ever bumped into other artists, like Morandi, who was also looking for a certain quietness. I think printmaking, like painting, is a way to slow down, to really see the world. And Saito's prints, with their subtle textures and muted tones, invite us to do just that. These artists are all speaking to each other, trying to capture something elusive, something that can only be expressed through art.