Fishing (1)

The first of Aoyama Masaharu's fishing compositions — a broad subject encompassing the full range of Japanese fishing practices, from coastal net fishing to the delicate art of freshwater fly fishing. Aoyama's consistent interest in fishing as a subject reflects its centrality in traditional Japanese material culture: fishing was simultaneously a means of subsistence, a refined leisure activity (tsuri as a contemplative pursuit), and a visual subject rich in compositional possibilities involving water, craft, tackle, and the tension of waiting for the fish to take the bait. His treatment of this subject draws on the tradition of genre painting while bringing a printmaker's formal precision to the scene.