From the Notebooks Mourning for Butterflies 1906

Curator: Right, let’s talk about “From the Notebooks Mourning for Butterflies,” a watercolor and gouache piece by Fujishima Takeji created around 1906. What leaps out at you? Editor: Oh, the melancholic air. Even with all the vibrant colours and delicate butterfly wings, there's something undeniably wistful about this collection of illustrations. Almost as though each butterfly is a fleeting moment, preserved in pigment before it vanishes. Curator: Fujishima's really playing with the ephemerality of beauty here. Think about it - butterflies, traditionally symbols of transformation and joy, are presented in a series of still studies, almost like pinned specimens in an entomologist's notebook. The "mourning" in the title hints at this awareness of their delicate existence. Editor: Exactly. It’s interesting how he captures that transient beauty through this pseudo-scientific lens. It's not just about aesthetic pleasure, is it? This era in Japan—the Meiji period—was a time of intense Westernization and a renewed interest in cataloging the natural world, both of which influence art production. Fujishima, steeped in those currents, is examining how we perceive, classify, and, in a way, control nature's beauty. Curator: He does seem to strike a fascinating balance. The Impressionist style gives a sense of immediacy, the colours bleeding slightly to evoke life in the works, while also hinting at something less grounded. Each insect’s little antenna feels intensely alert, but also frozen. Editor: That’s key! The use of watercolour is critical here. Its fluidity mirrors the butterfly's flight, yet on paper, their freedom is limited. Fujishima perhaps encourages us to reflect on humanity’s place in this dance of life. How often do we admire something beautiful while simultaneously contributing to its decline through environmental degradation or simply our need to possess it? Curator: True, true. I always wonder if he saw his art this way: like, am I framing and studying life as if I am trapping it and calling that love? Heavy stuff from an otherwise delightful-looking work! Editor: It invites the questions. A delicate but resonant image. Fujishima’s "Notebooks" prompt us to examine our relationship with beauty, with knowledge, and with the transient nature of life. Curator: Right then, a lot to ponder from some butterflies! It might be time for tea.