Twee ganzen bij bananenboom 1900 - 1945

Ohara Koson made this print of two geese near a banana tree, and its muted palette makes me think of a memory in faded colors. It’s like I can see him carefully applying each layer of color, letting it dry, then adding another, watching the image emerge from the woodblock. The texture is so smooth, it’s hard to believe it’s a print. I wonder if he felt a kinship with these birds? Or maybe he was just drawn to the way the light played on their white feathers. They seem like they’re gossiping, don’t they? Like they have a secret about the banana tree. You know, it makes me think of a time I was trying to capture the light in my own paintings, struggling to get it just right. I think that’s what artists do, we try to capture these fleeting moments and share them. I can see how he was inspired by other artists, and how his work, in turn, inspires others. It’s a conversation across time, and that is beautiful.