Descending egrets in snow 1925 - 1936

Ohara Koson made this woodblock print of descending egrets in snow. Here we see the artist working within a tradition that elevates the natural world. But how might we read this image with an eye to its social and cultural setting? This print was made in Japan, a country undergoing rapid modernization in the early 20th century. Japan’s art schools and exhibition societies were imitating European models. Yet, at the same time, there was growing interest in preserving older artistic traditions. Woodblock printing had been around for centuries. The publisher Watanabe Shōzaburō promoted what he called "New Prints" - prints that combined traditional techniques with modern aesthetics. Koson was one of the artists he represented. To understand prints like these, scholars consult a wide range of sources: government records, art magazines, exhibition reviews, and artists’ biographies. The meaning of art is always contingent on its social and institutional context.