Beach 1898

Curator: There’s a sort of stillness to Fujishima Takeji’s 1898 painting, “Beach,” wouldn’t you say? The tones are muted, almost melancholic. Editor: Absolutely, it has this quietude. What immediately strikes me is the discarded boat – beached, a little broken, which carries implications of obsolescence and perhaps a past life tied to labor or displacement. It raises questions about who depends on this beach, and at what cost. Curator: It’s definitely contemplative, right? The almost ghostly silhouette of the island in the background adds to that dreamy, otherworldly feeling. The Japonisme influence really sings through with those subtle washes of color, but also its engagement with Western plein-air painting practices gives it such a fresh perspective, an East-meets-West dialogue happening on canvas. Editor: Yes, but let’s also not forget this piece was produced during a time of massive imperialism in Asia, of great upheaval. Can we interpret this scene without asking whose beach this is, and how the painting may speak to uneven relations? The way it is painted, so subdued and calm, is also unsettling, masking a deeper complexity with regard to power dynamics. Curator: I hear that, it's heavy and yet lovely! For me, the muted palette works precisely to evoke that reflective state. Like you, the broken boat is so evocative but I feel there is still a promise in it - to float away to the horizon beyond. You read of something static but I cannot shake a promise of future action... do we need a horizon to create a point in our existence to move to it? Or move away from? Editor: Maybe, maybe that tension you are reading into this landscape could speak of Japan at the time. Ripped from feudal past but still unsure what the future may hold during the Meiji era of modernization and imperialism? We really don’t know. Either way, Fujishima's “Beach” certainly invites introspection about where we stand, individually and collectively, when confronted with the shifting sands of history. Curator: Yes, it invites our interpretation, and that makes it really special to me - something that still has more questions to ask! Editor: For sure, "Beach" is a beautiful image that allows to dive into more serious ideas, questions and thoughts - perfect for conversation, like this one.