Sunrise at the Port of Kobe 1935

Fujishima Takeji made this painting of the sunrise at Kobe port with strokes of pure, saturated color that really vibrate. I can imagine him out there on the dock at dawn with his paints, trying to capture this fleeting moment. The sky is so alive with peachy pinks and yellows, painted with such loose, gestural brushwork. It’s as if he’s trying to hold onto something ephemeral, like a memory. The horizon line is soft, the sea and sky almost merging, and the little boats bobbing on the water add a sense of scale. I love how the strokes of paint reflecting the sunlight dance across the water! You know, painting is kind of like a conversation with other artists. Takeji was looking at impressionists like Monet, but he's doing his own thing, and that’s what it’s all about. Painting is about keeping that conversation going!