Giverny, Monet's Pond; Sound of the Wind

Hiramatsu Reiji's devotion to Claude Monet led him to make a number of trips to the Normandy coast, walking in the footsteps of the French master: Rouen, Le Havre, Honfleur, Étretat, Fécamp, Deauville, and Trouville. From 1994, he became aware of Monet and the Impressionists' interest in Japanese art. He speaks about his journey towards Japonism in splendid terms: “I was profoundly stunned when I discovered the immense work that is the Water Lilies series. I then began to ardently study Japonism, with the gaze of a nihonga painter who sets out on a journey towards Impressionism and Japonism. […] The objective of my journey was to seek out Japonism in Monet’s Garden in Giverny […]. I sought to understand the attraction that Monet felt toward Japonism from an early age, as well as his viewpoint on objects. It was with a feeling of freedom and playfulness that I painted the water lilies that were so dear to Monet’s Japanese-inspired aestethic.” (Hiramatsu Reiji, Suiren Japonisme II (Nymphéas Japonisme II), Tokyo, Bijutsu Nensansha, 2002, p. 12, translated into French by Brigitte Koyama-Richard, 'Le japonisme entre passé et avenir', La magie des estampes japonaises, Paris, Hermann, p.175–176)
In Hiramatsu's work, we find some of the tricks developed by Monet, such as the use of enormous dimensions, decorative qualities, and a lack of perspective. You cannot help but feel his adoration of nature and light. In Giverny, Monet's Pond; Sound of the Wind, Hiramatsu chose to apply gold leaf to depict the lightness of Giverny's sky and India ink to draw the contours of the foliage intertwined with willow branches.

Vanessa Lecomte