Sunrise over Mongolia 1937

Fujishima Takeji made this pastel drawing of a Mongolian sunrise sometime in the early 20th century. The marks are so immediate, so present. I imagine Takeji working quickly, trying to capture the fleeting light. Look at the way the colors blend, the yellow of the sun bleeding into the blue of the mountains, that pale wash of green in the foreground. You can almost feel the grit of the pastel on the paper, and smell that strange chalky smell. I think it’s interesting to consider how Takeji doesn’t try to hide the process; each stroke is visible. It reminds me of Symbolist landscapes but there's also something very modern in this open, honest approach to mark-making. There’s a kind of beauty in that vulnerability, in letting the process be seen. Kind of like Bonnard, right? The way he built up colors, layer after layer, until the surface vibrates. Art isn’t about perfection, it’s about the conversation, the back and forth between the artist and the materials.