South Mountain in China [right of a pair] 1917

Fukui Kōtei created this section of a pair of folding screen paintings with ink, color, and gold leaf on paper. The composition is dominated by imposing mountains rendered with an emphasis on verticality and a palpable sense of mass. Notice how the artist employs a limited palette and subdued tonality, using ink washes to create subtle gradations of light and shadow. The gold leaf background not only provides luminosity, but also flattens the pictorial space. Kōtei’s technique merges traditional ink painting with a modernist sensibility. The structural elements of the mountain range are emphasized over descriptive detail. This approach allows for a visual experience that prompts the viewer to contemplate the enduring presence of the landscape. Kōtei challenges the conventional landscape format by focusing on abstract form to convey the essence of the landscape. The very materiality of the gold leaf invites us to consider the artwork not just as a representation but as an object that continuously reveals new ways of thinking about art and nature.