(1) Hokusai Katsushika, the painting enthusiast and old man who painted everything, "Fugaku Sanjurokkei Kanagawaoki Namiura (Thirty-six views of Mt. Fuji, Kanagawa-oki Namiura) 1831 - 33

Among the world-famous works of Katsushika Hokusai, this is arguably his best-known work.
The dramatic composition depicts three boats being tossed about in front of a ferociously high, swirling wave, with a glimpse of Mount Fuji in the distance peeking through the undulating waves.
The flow of the water, the undulation of the waves, the movement of the boats along the waves, and the gentle ridges of Mt. Fuji are all considered to be the components of the multiple logarithmic spirals.
The work is famous for its widespread influence in the West, including its use as the cover of the score for Debussy's "The Sea".

Debussy, "The Sea," 1905 edition

(2) Hiroshige Utagawa, "Evening shower at O-hashi-atake," an innovative work depicting rain in line drawings. 1857.

This is one of the "One Hundred Famous Views of Edo" and is the 52nd scene, painted with multicolor woodblock prints.
It depicts people crossing the "Ohashi" bridge over the Sumida River from the west bank, as they are caught in a violent evening shower that blurs the distant view.
Vincent van Gogh, the famous post-impressionist, was also influenced by Japanese art, and this work by Hiroshige in particular was a deep inspiration for him, as he even copied it.

Vincent van Gogh, "Rainy Ohashi Bridge," 1887, copy by Hiroshige

(3) Seiho Takeuchi, "HANNEKO," depicting a cute cat Seiho Takeuchi, "HANNEKO" (1924)

One of Takeuchi Seiho's masterpieces, "HANNEKO" is a Japanese painting in which a cat, a familiar animal to humans, plays the main role.
Until then, pet animals were not often featured in Japanese painting.
Seiho Takeuchi, who was born into a family that ran a small restaurant and grew up learning to paint in his hometown of Kyoto, was able to turn his eye to everyday scenes and sublimate them into works of art.
According to one theory, Takeuchi Seiho saw a speckled cat on the eaves of a grocery store and became interested in the details of the cat's movements and patterns, which led to this work.
It seems that Takeuchi Seiho was so passionate about realism in Japanese painting that he asked the grocer to give him the cat so that he could observe the cat and draw it well.
The work is designated as a National Important Cultural Property.

(4) Yokoyama Taikan, "Birth and Transition," depicting the abundance and transition of nature 1923.

At approximately 40 meters in length, this remarkable work is the longest scroll in Japan and an Important Cultural Property.
The title of this work, which means "the constant birth, change, and transmigration of all things," depicts " the life of water " using advanced ink painting techniques.
A drop of rain is born from a cloud floating in the mountains, falls to the ground and flows, becomes a river, enriches the lives of humans and all living creatures, eventually becomes a large river, joins the sea, and becomes a cloud again from the rough sea where dragons dance.
For the Japanese, who have lived with abundant water, the life of water is also the life of people.
As a part of the same nature, this work may raise questions about the nature of human beings as well.

(5) Kaii Higashiyama "Midori Echoing" depicting the fantastic mountains of Hakuba 1982

Midori-kyoiku," which became famous after appearing in a TV commercial, is a fantastic Japanese painting created by Kaii Higashiyama using the beauty of nature in Shinshu as a motif.
A white horse walks along a lake against a backdrop of soft, lush green forest.
The forest and the white horse are reflected directly on the surface of the lake, inverted, highlighting the beauty of the water.
The sky, which is not depicted in the painting, may be cloudy, and the overall coloring is hazy and foggy, but the deep, sweltering green is still impressive.
It is as if the Japanese view of nature has been cut out and painted, and while fantastic, it deeply appeals to the viewer's heart.



Also read
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Who is Monet? Explanation of his works and life, including the famous painting "Waterlilies

Famous Western paintings can be seen in Japan! Museum Guide



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