Ruïnes van het Wakamatsu kasteel 1917

This print of the Ruins of Wakamatsu Castle was made by Morita Tsunetomo, probably in the early twentieth century. The pastel palette is so serene, almost melancholy, you know, like a rainy day. The marks are rhythmic, the hatching and stippling are so consistent and repetitive that you can see the working process. Take a look at the castle wall on the left. The artist uses different tones of grey to model the shape, but the texture looks flat. But then, the more you look, the more you notice these small fissures and cracks in the stone that give the wall a sense of depth, even of history. It reminds me of those moments in painting when what initially seems simple and straightforward, actually contains hidden depths. I can’t help but think of Van Gogh when I look at the wheat-like grass, the brushstrokes have the same kind of energy. But where Van Gogh can feel really turbulent and emotional, here there is a sense of quiet observation. It’s like Tsunetomo is saying, hey, there’s beauty in the everyday, you just have to stop and look around.