Snip in water
1900 - 1930
Ohara Koson was a master of kacho-e (bird-and-flower prints), and this piece captures a snipe in a moment of intense focus. The bird is balanced precariously on one leg, its long, needle-like beak plunging into the murky water to hunt for food. Notice the incredible detail in the feathers—Koson uses subtle shading to give the bird a soft, almost 3D texture against the misty, minimalist background. This print is a classic example of the shin-hanga movement, which revived traditional Japanese techniques with a touch of Western realism; in fact, Koson's birds were so lifelike that early Western collectors often mistook them for photographs!
- Technique
- Woodblock print
- Material
- Paper
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