Title: Waves at Matsushima
Creator: Tawaraya SÅtatsu
Material/Medium: Ink, gold, and silver on paper
Date: ca 1611-1643
Culture: Edo period
Dimension: 166 x 369.9 cm
Repository: Freer Gallery of Art
Distinctive visual characteristics:
The Waves at Matsushima clearly show a mountainous region being devastated by large waves. The waves are painted over the paint with white ink, making its appearance to clouds. However, the white waves look as if it is pushing the mountains with its sheer force. Most of the detail is located on the waves. Thin lines are used along with white ink to show the flow of the water and the unpredictability. The gold on the left resembles the typical shape of clouds in Japanese art. The dark part above the gold leafing helps support the previous claim because it makes it appear above the waves. However, the golden clouds do not block the mountains. The cerulean blue and the opaque green help highlight the mountains and help stabilize them against the flowing waves. On top of many of the peaks, trees are able to stabilize themselves with the protection of the mountains from the waves. Compared to the waves, the mountains are very blocky and do not have much detail. The details on the mountains are focused on the trees and the fade from colors to brown.
