Morning at Nijubashi Bridge 1930

This is Morning at Nijubashi Bridge by Hasui Kawase. It's a print, so the colours are laid down in flat, even areas, not mixed and scumbled like in a painting. The blues and pinks of the sky feel so delicate, so transient, like they might disappear any second. I guess that’s the thing about morning – it never lasts. Look how he’s made the reflection in the water. It's not just a direct copy of the bridge above but kind of broken up, a bit shimmery. You can almost feel the cool of the early morning air and smell the water. The way he’s built up the image from blocks of colour reminds me a little of Ellsworth Kelly, but softer, more romantic. Maybe it’s just me, but there’s something about this print that makes me want to slow down, to pay attention to the small things, like the birds flying overhead or the way the light catches the water. It’s a simple scene, but it’s full of beauty, and it invites you to take a moment and appreciate it. Art, like mornings, can be pretty great.