Pine Trees
The artist
Hasegawa Tohaku, a Japanese master painter who lived over 400 years ago and loved simple ink pictures.
What you see
A pair of folding screens showing pine trees appearing and fading in soft morning mist, painted only in black ink.
The story
It was painted around 1595 and is one of Japan's most treasured artworks, celebrated as a national treasure.
The style
Tohaku used only black ink and left much of the paper empty, so the blank space feels like real fog around the trees.
Look closer
Notice how some pines look close and dark while others are pale and far away, giving a deep, peaceful feeling of distance.
Where to see it
The two screens are kept at the Tokyo National Museum in Japan and are shown only on special occasions.
Fun fact
The trees are made from just a few confident brushstrokes, showing that leaving things out can be as powerful as adding them.