Flying pheasant
1910 - 1930
Master of the 'bird-and-flower' genre, Ohara Koson captures a pheasant in mid-dive through a rainy, grey forest. The bird's long tail feathers stream behind it like a banner, contrasting with the muted tree trunks. You can almost feel the wind in the diagonal lines slashing across the background, highlighting the bird's striking red face and intricate wing patterns. Koson was part of the Shin-hanga movement, which revitalized traditional woodblock printing for a modern audience, and his prints were so beloved in the West that they helped save the art form from extinction.
- Technique
- Woodblock print
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