River Scene with Rocky Hills in Background 1887 - 1892

Kawabata Gyokushō created this ink and color on silk painting, *River Scene with Rocky Hills in Background*, sometime during his lifetime. The scene presents a landscape where the boundaries between water, land, and sky seem to dissolve into one another, evoking a sense of serene continuity. Note the compositional structure; the artist employs a subtle gradation of tones to delineate space, creating depth through atmospheric perspective. The soft blues and greys of the water and sky contrast gently with the earthy ochres and greens of the rocky outcrops, leading our eye through the scene. What does it mean that this landscape seems to resist a stable, clearly defined visual order? Gyokushō challenges our expectations of spatial coherence, perhaps suggesting a view of nature where fixed categories are less important than the fluid experience of being within it. We can see how the formal qualities of the artwork embody a philosophical position that favors ambiguity. This allows for a deeper, more contemplative engagement with the natural world.