Kawai Gyokudō (1873–1957) was born in Aichi Prefecture and is regarded as one of the leading figures of modern Japanese painting. After studying the realistic style of the Maruyama and Shijō schools in Kyoto, he moved to Tokyo, where he also studied under Hashimoto Gahō. Taking familiar aspects of Japanese nature—such as mountain villages, mountain streams and rural life—as his primary subjects, he produced numerous landscape paintings that evoke a sense of nostalgia and tranquillity through his soft brushwork and subdued colours. In 1940, he was awarded the Order of Culture.

When viewing Gyokudō’s works, one senses that he did not seek to exaggerate the grandeur of the scenery, but rather cherished those moments when human activity and nature blend together peacefully. People walking along mountain paths, houses by the river, and villages shrouded in rain or snow possess a profound emotional depth, even without any flamboyance. Gyokudō’s paintings seem to quietly preserve the very essence of Japan’s landscape. Their great appeal lies in the way they calm the mind the more one gazes at them, and in how they convey the very atmosphere of the seasons.