Ringmussen bij wisteria 1900 - 1936

Ohara Koson made this woodblock print called ‘Ringmussen bij wisteria’ in Japan, but when I look at the way the light is captured, it feels as fresh as if it were made yesterday. There’s a softness to the colours that suggests a real process of layering. The surface of the paper has a lovely texture to it; there’s a sense of the grain coming through, and you can feel that in the birds' feathers and the wisteria as well. Look at the way Koson captures the weight of the wisteria, each individual flower rendered with such delicate precision. And then, those birds! They’re so full of life. The piece is quiet, yet so full of character. The way Koson uses light and shadow makes me think of Whistler – that same sense of quiet contemplation, of finding beauty in the everyday. It's a conversation across time and cultures.