Vernissage

The Colour of Water

Curated by Ines Albrecht

Painters have never agreed on what colour water is. Some saw it burn at sunset, some carved it into claws, some let it dissolve into the sky above it. This room hangs their answers side by side along one long walk, so you can go from one kind of water to the next and decide for yourself.

Walk in

14 works4 visits

A Distant View of Snow on the Sumida River in Edo

Checklist

In the order you meet them, clockwise from the far wall.

  1. 1
    A Distant View of Snow on the Sumida River in Edo

    North wall

    Ikeda Eisen

    Japanese, 1790–1848

    A Distant View of Snow on the Sumida River in Edo, early 1830s

    Color woodblock print

    21.6 × 34.8 cm (8 ½ × 13 ¾ in.)

  2. 2
    Geisha Standing on the Bank of the Sumida River (from the series People Who Like the Latest Fashions and Manners)

    North wall

    Utagawa Kuniyoshi

    Japanese, 1797–1861

    Geisha Standing on the Bank of the Sumida River (from the series People Who Like the Latest Fashions and Manners), early 1830s

    Color woodblock print

    37.4 × 26.1 cm (14 ¾ × 10 ¼ in.)

  3. 3
    Water Lilies (Agapanthus)

    North wall

    Claude Monet

    French, 1840–1926

    Water Lilies (Agapanthus), c. 1915–26

    Oil on canvas

    201.3 × 425.6 cm (79 ¼ × 167 ½ in.)

  4. 4
    Low Tide at Pourville, near Dieppe, 1882

    North wall

    Claude Monet

    French, 1840–1926

    Low Tide at Pourville, near Dieppe, 1882, 1882

    Oil on fabric

    59.9 × 81.3 cm (23 ½ × 32 in.)

  5. 5
    Tama River in Musashi Province (Bushū Tamagawa), from the series Thirty-six Views of Mount Fuji (Fugaku sanjūrokkei)

    North wall

    Katsushika Hokusai

    Japanese, Tokyo (Edo) 1760–1849 Tokyo (Edo)

    Tama River in Musashi Province (Bushū Tamagawa), from the series Thirty-six Views of Mount Fuji (Fugaku sanjūrokkei), ca. 1830–32

    Woodblock print

    25.1 × 37.8 cm (10 × 15 in.)

  6. 6
    Snow on the Sumida River

    East wall

    Utagawa Hiroshige

    Japanese, Tokyo (Edo) 1797–1858 Tokyo (Edo)

    Snow on the Sumida River, ca. 1835

    Woodblock print; ink and color on paper

    37.1 × 12.7 cm (14 ½ × 5 in.)

  7. 7
    Tathagata Buddha

    East wall

    Tathagata Buddha, late 1800s

    Hanging scroll; ink and color on paper

    214 × 69.4 cm (84 ¼ × 27 ¼ in.)

  8. 8
    Twelve Views of Tiger Hill

    East wall

    Shen Zhou

    Chinese, 1427–1509

    Twelve Views of Tiger Hill, after 1490

    Album of twelve leaves; ink or ink and slight color on paper

    36.5 × 49.9 cm (14 ¼ × 19 ¾ in.)

  9. 9
    The Brook

    South wall

    Paul Cezanne

    French, 1839–1906

    The Brook, c. 1895–1900

    Oil on fabric

    59.2 × 81 cm (23 ¼ × 32 in.)

  10. 10
    Krishna and the Cowherds Dive into the River, from a Rasikapriya

    South wall

    Krishna and the Cowherds Dive into the River, from a Rasikapriya, c. 1640

    Gum tempera, ink, and gold on paper

    20.6 × 17.8 cm (8 × 7 in.)

  11. 11
    Boats at Berck-sur-Mer

    South wall

    Édouard Manet

    French, 1832–1883

    Boats at Berck-sur-Mer, 1873

    Oil on fabric

    34 × 55.8 cm (13 ½ × 22 in.)

  12. 12
    At Sea off Kazusa (Kazusa no kairo), from the series Thirty-six Views of Mount Fuji (Fugaku sanjūrokkei)

    South wall

    Katsushika Hokusai

    Japanese, Tokyo (Edo) 1760–1849 Tokyo (Edo)

    At Sea off Kazusa (Kazusa no kairo), from the series Thirty-six Views of Mount Fuji (Fugaku sanjūrokkei), ca. 1830–32

    Woodblock print; ink and color on paper

    25.6 × 37.5 cm (10 × 14 ¾ in.)

  13. 13
    Boating

    West wall

    Edouard Manet

    French, Paris 1832–1883 Paris

    Boating, 1874

    Oil on canvas

    97.2 × 130.2 cm (38 ¼ × 51 ¼ in.)

  14. 14
    Travellers Fording the Abe River at Fuchu

    West wall

    Utagawa Hiroshige

    Japanese, Tokyo (Edo) 1797–1858 Tokyo (Edo)

    Travellers Fording the Abe River at Fuchu, ca. 1833–34

    Woodblock print; ink and color on paper

    24.1 × 35.6 cm (9 ½ × 14 in.)