Kotarō in the role of Yayoi 1915

Natori Shunsen made this woodblock print called Kotarō in the role of Yayoi. The marks are so clear and crisp, like a well-organized thought, yet so tender. You can see the grain of the wood and almost feel the pressure of the block. The color palette is so considered, with the soft peach background playing against the floral garment with accents of yellow and red. And then there is the monochrome black hair, so sculptural. It’s so graphic, but also subtle. Look closely and you can see the tiny white lines which make the hair look like it shines. This reminds me of Utamaro, in the way that the artist is so economical with his lines, and creates such a sense of volume and space in a very flat medium. The way that artists can create this sense of space within such a limited framework is so inspiring. It's like they're whispering secrets about how we see and feel.