Eagle Flying Down 1900 - 1930

Ohara Koson made this woodblock print of an eagle sometime between the late 19th and early 20th centuries, and what strikes me first is its dynamic energy. You can almost feel the air rushing around the bird as it descends! I’m imagining Koson-san, carefully carving away at the woodblock, thinking about the weight and the texture of those feathers. The grey is so atmospheric! You can practically feel the cool rain on your face. The diagonal strokes suggest movement, direction, a sense of the eagle’s intent. And then, that small, almost imperceptible prey gripped in the eagle’s talons—a tiny moment of life and death captured in ink. It makes me think of Hokusai and Hiroshige, the great masters of ukiyo-e, but Koson brings his own modern sensibility to the tradition. It is a quiet, powerful image that resonates with a deep understanding of nature and the cycle of life.