Ogura Ryūson: View of Yushima

Scene at Yushima, View Over Rooftops of Houses by Moonlight
[1880-1890] by Ogura Ryūson

This is painting Scene at Yushima by 19th century Japanese artist Ogura Ryūson. I do not know exactly why, but I fell in love with it the moment I saw it. There is something eerie and mysterious about it, and this feeling has probably something to do with Ogura’s effective shadowing, and the fact that the two male figures standing on an elevation are presented with their backs to us, facing the Moon.

There is a feeling of something unresolved and hanging in the air between the two men, an unfinished conversation, perhaps. The fact they do not stand in line, but are positioned at an angle slightly away from each other hints at their possible discord, discomfort or even loneliness and pain somewhere in their immediate relationship and timeframe. Their strikingly different clothing further empathises their distinctness. One of the men is wearing a headgear and sports fancy attire, while another is rather simply dressed. The brightly-lit windows of what is probably a Japanese-style tavern near the Yushima Shrine also suggests ideas, with the houses facing each other providing a sort of a “frame” through which we see the “main actors”, like curtains in a theatre. The men’s vertical stature is then sharply contrasted with the horizontal lines of the houses’ rooftops, which further draws our attention to the figures, and, because we take the viewpoint of the men, this also ensures our involvement and invites sympathy.

Given the history of the area depicted by Ogura, some have suggested that the relationship between the two men in this painting is that of a male prostitute and his client, but others have also noted that this is very far from clear and it is too difficult to determine this or any other romantic feeling by just looking at the painting.

The artist of this work is as mysterious as the painting. Not much is known of Ogura Ryūson, apart from some basic facts, and few of his paintings have survived. However, this only deepens our intrigue regarding his art, life and this painting, and in the tradition of the best Japanese articles, this artwork, rather than simply informing, certainly suggests and instils wonder.

28 thoughts on “Ogura Ryūson: View of Yushima”

      1. Thanks for sharing the inspiring painting Diana 😊 and good to see you here again, I don’t know why I haven’t seen your posts in my feed for quite a while
        I will share this in a future edition of Interesting Things on my blog, cheers 😊

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  4. So much to muse over and admire. As well as the very pertinent points you make I’m drawn to the use of light here. As well as the full moon there are the three lit yet opaque windows, plus the street lamp. And the right hand figure seems also to be looking not just towards the moon but towards the only house in the townscape with a light in its window.

    There’s clearly a lot we’re expected to find significant, but in what ways remains hidden – perhaps a meditation on translucency versus opacity?

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    1. Thanks, and that’s a great observation. I haven’t realised that the right hand figure may be looking at the light in the window, which is, yes, the only one lit. Perhaps this is very true. And yes, the use of light is great, isn’t it? It is almost as good as anything Kobayashi Kiyochika produced, and his nightscapes are renowed. I have also now noticed how the shadow clouds above also reflect, mirror? the thawing? ground. It’s very interesting.

      As for the meaning, hmm, yes, I very much agree. I guess there is much feeling of something of immense significance going on here, its almost palpable, but the clear source/cause of it evades us, as you also hint. That may give a bitter-sweet, even if slightly frustrating feeling. I love Japanese art, including books and films, just for this power of suggestion.

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      1. That’s interesting what you say about mirroring or echoing in the picture. This page (which includes this print) also shows one by Kobayashi Kiyochika – ‘Mt. Fuji Viewed from Edo-bashi Bridge at Sunset’ – with Fuji’s triangle echoed by a boat and a massive cloud (?) corresponding to the silhouette of a man’s head in the foreground: http://www.ukiyoe-ota-muse.jp/2022/10/28/yamitohikari-eng/

        I wonder if there’s a As above, so below principle in Japanese philosophy at work here? By this token every little detail is likely to have significance.

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        1. Japan also being influenced by the yin and yang philosophy, I won’t be surprised. Japanese thinking is to find greatness in smallness and significance in mundane details, actions, etc. (small things reflect big ones ones and vice versa?), but also looking for and drawing parallels since Buddhism also teaches inter-connectivity. My guess will be that this “mirroring” is not uncommon. I know Hiroshige employed it.

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  6. Interesting. What strikes me there is the character looking down… Question: Is “Observation” an important feature of Japanese culture? A few cultures (that I know) seem to go through the world without looking outside…
    Domo and all that for the thought

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    1. That’s an interesting question! Japan is often labelled as “introspective” and “introverted” so I guess it does place an emphasis on “observation” (as opposed to inattention and to other countries’ “direct participation”?), its subtler and more muted version, perhaps.

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      1. Hmmm. A challenging answer… 😉 But yes, I see what you mean. Introverted would imply a lot of attention to others, non-verbal cues, details…
        The “West” (and there are many variations) would be very different. have you read Amélie Nothomb?

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          1. No. Not elusive at all. I like short answers… 😉 Just made me think.
            Nothomb. I was thinking of “Stupeur et tremblements”. (Don’t know the English title) based on her experience when she went back to japan and got a job… Very interesting.

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              1. I understand. I don’t like all her books. But those two in particular I do. I also can relate to her feelings as an expat brat. I lived through similar things when I was a child in Africa. Very different setting and culture of course, but an expat is an expat.

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                1. That sounds like a good comparison, nonetheless. I, myself, am a lifelong “expat” in a way, though I cannot say I experienced a totally radically different environment/way of life/thinking as Japan may throw at you. It’s obvious, but I guess when you take certain continents and people’s experience, the differences of Africa or Asia, are much more pronounced than say Europe and America, for example.

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                  1. Totally. One thing that facinates me are all the minute differences even between “closer” cultures. E.g American culture (with its wide internal variations.) and European culture(s). 😀 it’s always a challenge to one’s observation capacity. Take care Diana.

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  7. This is such a beautiful painting and I agree with you about the eerie feeling that it gives you. It also kinda looks like a modern painting despite being from another century. Thanks for sharing this beautiful work of art!

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