Lucerne 1908

Fujishima Takeji made this painting of Lucerne at an unknown date using oil paint on canvas. Just look at the brushstrokes! Aren't they something? The buildings and water seem to emerge through intuition and feeling, not fixed in place but alive with movement. The paint is applied in these juicy, textured strokes that are so full of life. I imagine Fujishima standing there, feeling the energy of Lucerne, and trying to capture that feeling on canvas. There’s this one part, near the water, where the brushstrokes feel like they’re mimicking the flow and rhythm, that almost seems to breathe. The colors, too, are so earthy and rich, with these hints of deep blue that give the whole painting a kind of emotional depth. You can feel the weight and presence of history but he made it so light! He's definitely in conversation with other painters, like Van Gogh and Monet, but it's his own distinct voice. The painting feels like an embodied expression, full of ambiguity and open to all sorts of interpretations. It's a space of infinite possibilities.