Bridge in the rain (after Hiroshige)
1887
Van Gogh was absolutely obsessed with Japanese woodblock prints, and this piece is his vibrant love letter to the master artist Hiroshige. Instead of just copying the original, he actually traced the print onto canvas and then painted over it with thick, energetic oil strokes, even adding a border of 'Japanese' characters that are mostly just gibberish he invented! It perfectly captures his fascination with the bold lines and flat colors of ukiyo-e art, which completely transformed his own style. You can almost feel the heavy rain coming down in those sharp, diagonal blue strokes crossing the bridge.
- Technique
- Oil on canvas
- Material
- Canvas
Location: Van Gogh Museum, Amsterdam
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