The Great Statue of Amida Buddha at Kamakura, Known as the Daibutsu, from the Priest's Garden 1887

John La Farge painted ‘The Great Statue of Amida Buddha at Kamakura, Known as the Daibutsu, from the Priest's Garden’ using watercolor and graphite. Notice the monumentality of the Great Buddha, even rendered in this delicate medium. La Farge’s application of watercolor gives the Daibutsu a soft, ethereal quality, contrasting with the statue’s massive presence in reality. The layered washes of color suggest the effects of weather on the bronze, and time on this sacred site. Touches of graphite add definition, grounding the image in detailed observation. La Farge's technique is critical to the work's interpretation. Although his focus on direct observation suggests an aesthetic approach, it also underscores his role as a Westerner engaging with Eastern culture, carefully observing and recording the scene before him. The medium becomes a means to capture the spirit of a place and its cultural artifacts. This raises important questions about the nature of cross-cultural exchange, the artist's own positionality, and the value placed on different forms of art making.