August (Horse Given to the Emperor) c. 1910

Suzuki Toshimoto made August (Horse Given to the Emperor), at an unknown date with ink and color on silk. The pale wash of color gives the whole scene a dreamy, slightly faded feel, like an old memory. Look how the artist uses thin, watery strokes to build up the forms, almost like he’s coaxing the image into existence. The mountain in the background is just a suggestion, a wisp of ink that fades into the sky, yet it feels so solid and present. Then there's that roof in the foreground, all sharp angles and precise lines, juxtaposed against the soft, blurry landscape. It reminds me of Hokusai, but with a gentler touch, as if he’s inviting us to step into a world that’s both real and imagined. Art's not about answers, it's about the questions that linger.