Overlooking the Huangpu River 1938

Editor: This is "Overlooking the Huangpu River," a watercolor by Fujishima Takeji from 1938. It feels so atmospheric, almost like a hazy memory of a bustling port. What's your take on it? Curator: It feels like looking through the artist's soul, doesn't it? That window frame...it’s almost like we are glimpsing into someone else’s reality, mediated through their particular view of the world, a quiet moment amidst the clamor. Doesn’t it remind you a little of Japanese woodblock prints in the way it presents a framed view of nature? What feelings does the perspective evoke in you? Editor: That's an interesting point. The frame definitely draws my attention, creating a feeling of both intimacy and distance. Is this a typical example of Orientalism? Curator: Orientalism is one reading. I tend to be quite sceptical when that label gets slapped on something so effortlessly! But I think it speaks of longing and the artist trying to catch a piece of time slipping away from us, especially knowing this was painted in 1938, right on the brink of…well, everything that happened in the forties! There is such beauty, isn’t there, in things being just a little bit fragile? Do you get that sense, too? Editor: Absolutely, that vulnerability shines through, making it more impactful! The watercolor style, in particular, seems fitting for such a wistful piece. Curator: Indeed. It also is such a beautiful contradiction, too! It feels both firmly located in a time and a place, and so desperately transitory. Editor: Well, I definitely have a deeper understanding of this artwork. It goes far beyond just the beautiful scenery, doesn't it? Curator: Precisely. That little window serves as a profound reminder to see the beauty in the mundane before it becomes a fleeting image from our past. It's like a poignant, watercolor haiku.