Fuji from the Canal, Iwabuchi 1901

Lilla Cabot Perry gave us this view of Fuji from the Canal, Iwabuchi, she stands at her easel and uses the brush to dab at the canvas, the whole image shimmers through its multitude of little marks. I wonder if she felt the pressure of the ‘male gaze’ when painting Mount Fuji, knowing it was already an iconic image, a symbol of Japan itself. What does it mean to paint it again? She makes the mountain purple-grey and hazy, not as bold as Hokusai's block printed version. The colours are soft, the air feels moist and Impressionistic. I can imagine her wanting to feel the space, not just see it. I notice how Perry places a bright patch of yellow flowers in the foreground, pulling me into the scene. Look how she’s unafraid to let the realness of the canal take centre stage, showing the landscape as a painter sees it. Painting is a dialogue, an ongoing conversation between artists across time. Each brushstroke is a response to the world and to the history of art. It is like she is saying “I am here and painting too!”