Egret in the rain 1925 - 1936

Ohara Koson made this image, "Egret in the rain," from woodblocks. It's an example of the Japanese tradition of Ukiyo-e prints, where the artist doesn't carve the block, or even print the final image. That is all done by artisans. Koson would have made a complete painting, which was then broken down by woodworkers into a series of blocks; one for each color. These were then printed in succession onto paper, building up the final image. The sensitivity of the linework here is remarkable, especially when you think it was achieved through laborious, repetitive effort. And this print also reflects Japan’s unique position at the turn of the century. On the one hand, there is the imagery of the natural world, so important to traditional Japanese aesthetics. But the work also indicates Japan’s embrace of industrial methods and new global markets. This piece beautifully shows that the status of an artwork isn't only about its aesthetic properties or an artist’s genius, it is also about how it was made, and by whom.