Onoe Baiko as Aburaya Okon 1931

This is Natori Shunsen’s image of Onoe Baiko as Aburaya Okon, and what hits me first is the way the marks make up the image. It's a kind of methodical build-up, a process revealed. The blue background has this hatched texture, not quite solid, and that kind of repetitive touch gives it a feeling of handmade care. Then you look at the fan, and it’s like a little world of its own with those graphic flowers. Each element feels carefully placed, yet the whole thing breathes. It’s not trying too hard, which is a trick in itself. Think of someone like David Hockney, with his portraits. There’s a similar attention to line and a flatness that somehow adds depth. But here, in Shunsen's work, there's a quieter, more intimate feel, maybe it’s that sense of the artist's hand guiding the image, one little mark at a time. It’s like a conversation, really, between the artist and the image, and we get to listen in.