Herons in falling snow
Ohara Shōson (Koson)
Description
Subject Matter:
The artist, Ohara Shoson (Koson) was a famous painter and wood block printer. Their work was a part of the Shin-hanga movement, a movement that revitalized the traditional ukiyo-e style of Edo and Meiji periods. He was also a master of Kacho-e, art depicting flowers and birds as we see here.
The subjects, the white herons, are an auspicious symbol of good luck in Japanese culture. The seasonality seen in this print is common among many artists of Japanese art and shows the impermanence of the seasons while marveling at the fleeting beauty of nature.
Physical Description:
This colored woodblock print depicts five herons standing in a circle closely next to each other. The leftmost heron stands the tallest with the rest in descending height order with the heron to the right and in the back of the group crouching the lowest. The background is an ombre of dark gray, light gray, blue, and then black. There is a signature on the lower left side followed by a red seal. Outside the print and on the borders is black stamp.
Usage Rights:
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