Great tit on branch with pink flowers 1900 - 1930

Ohara Koson made this image of a great tit and some pink flowers, probably a woodblock print, some time before 1945. There is a lovely approach to mark making in this piece, the different strokes each create a suggestion of shadow or texture. It reminds me that artmaking is really a process of thinking and seeing that results in an image. Looking at the surface, you can almost feel the smoothness of the paper, the slight texture that holds the ink. The colour is applied in thin, transparent layers, and the colour palette of pinks, greens and off-whites is subdued, almost monochromatic. I am drawn to the flower at the bottom of the image, the way the lines of the petals meet at the centre, creating an illusion of depth. It's as though Koson wants us to look closely, to appreciate the subtle details of the natural world. I can’t help but compare Koson's approach to that of Hiroshige, another master of Japanese prints. But while Hiroshige often focused on landscapes, Koson seems more interested in the intimate details of the natural world. It's a conversation across time, a reminder that art is never created in a vacuum.