Pine trees and Chinese black pines

Screens like this one from Japan's late-medieval period in the native Japanese, or Yamato-e, style are surprisingly abstract and modern. The gold ground creates a mysterious, luminous setting for a minimalist landscape of pines. Grouped close to the foreground, twisting pines contrast with the severity of straight Chinese black pines. Bamboo grass at the base of the trees is partially cropped by scalloped gold clouds and gentle hillocks and adds another dimension of texture and rhythm to this striking composition. The sun setting beyond a distant mountain ridge is crafted of a semi-circular metallic plate that has been attached to the surface of the painting.