Description

Over a wooded rocky ledge on the left, a narrow waterfall plunges into the depths and half disappears behind rising mist. To its right, on a green terrace, stands a simple house with a pale shingle and thatched roof, on whose path a small figure in blue clothing carrying a pole on its shoulder is on the move.

In the foreground, a clear, blue-toned river winds its way between moss-covered boulders, lined by tall cedars and a light green deciduous tree. The color composition is unusually soft: almost everything is held in graduated tones of green, further muted by the mist, so that only the water sets a cool counterpoint. The single blue figure on the path is the only strong accent of color and draws the eye precisely to where the hut and the waterfall meet.

This type of landscape depiction, in which a small human figure provides the scale for a mist-shrouded mountain world, belongs to the established repertoire of Japanese hanging scroll painting. Signature and red seal are placed at the lower right. Executed as a silkscreen print on silk, this piece appears fresh and pleasantly calm at the same time.