Rooster and hen 1900 - 1930

Ohara Koson made this woodblock print of a Rooster and Hen sometime between the late 19th and early 20th century, and it’s kind of blowing my mind right now. The controlled lines and flat planes of colour remind me of screen printing. But then you notice the subtle gradations in the background, created through a kind of blurring or smudging, like when you rub pastels into paper with your finger. The print is so delicate, so precise, and yet you can see the artist’s hand at work, or rather the hands of the printmakers who made it! The black feathers on the rooster’s tail are so sharply defined, like a Japanese calligraphy brushstroke. The velvety white plumage of the birds is almost sculptural. I love how they fit together like two pieces in a puzzle; the hen seems to nestle into the rooster’s tail. This feels connected to earlier Japanese art, maybe like Moronobu. What do you think?