Het drijvende paviljoen te Katada in de sneeuw 1934

Tsuchiya Koitsu made this print of a floating pavilion in Katada in the snow, but the date is unknown. Look closely and you’ll see Koitsu’s process is all about layering, and that the marks and colours don't seem labored, but are applied with a real sense of ease. There’s something very special about how he renders the snow-laden trees and the little pavilion, just sitting there in the water; each element feels as though it’s been considered in its own right, before being harmonised into the whole. The textures feel quite different too – the trees are almost fluffy, whereas the building itself has a more geometric, solid quality. That lantern light reflecting in the water – what a simple, elegant gesture. This reminds me a little of Hiroshige's atmospheric landscapes, but Koitsu’s got his own thing going on. Ultimately, it’s the ambiguity that I love: he invites us to bring our own feelings and experiences to it, and to make our own story.