Sunrise over Mongolia 1937

Fujishima Takeji made this painting of a sunrise over Mongolia. Look at those hazy strokes and soft palette, like the memory of a sunrise slowly materializing on the canvas. I can almost feel the artist squinting, trying to capture the fleeting light and vastness of the landscape. Did he mix colors on the canvas or before? The whole thing trembles. The painting's surface has this tactile quality that makes you want to reach out and touch it. See how the blues and grays of the ground contrast with the peaches and pinks of the sky? I wonder if he was thinking about Turner or Whistler when he made this; there's a similar play of light and atmosphere. It reminds me that painting is a conversation across time. Each artist picks up the thread from those who came before, weaving their own story into the grand tapestry of art history. Each painting is an experiment in seeing, feeling, and making sense of this world.