Omori Beach at Night 1930

Here's an image of Omori Beach at Night, made by Hasui Kawase. Just looking at it, you can imagine the artist carefully layering colors to create this dreamy, moonlit scene. It’s so blue, this print, that you can feel the cool night air. I wonder what Kawase was thinking as he made this? Was he trying to capture a specific memory, or maybe just the feeling of a quiet evening by the water? The glow of the lanterns reflecting on the water – those vertical lines, reminds me how light can be so solid. It's like he’s pulling light down from the sky! And those little figures by the dock, are they coming or going? This piece relates to Kawase's wider practice of capturing everyday scenes with a touch of poetic sensibility. Artists are always talking to each other across time, aren't they? I can see how someone like Van Gogh or Whistler could inspire Kawase’s focus on capturing the effects of light and atmosphere. Painting is a way of feeling and being in the world, full of questions.