Roosters 1810 - 1853

Curator: We're looking at “Roosters,” a hanging scroll, ink and watercolor on paper, created by Katsushika Taito II sometime between 1810 and 1853. Editor: It’s remarkably poised, I must say. The composition draws the eye upward, but the birds feel quite grounded, stable. Their positioning—one almost mirroring the other—lends it a kind of solemn symmetry. Curator: Indeed, and the rooster, especially in Japanese art, isn't merely decorative. It carries rich symbolic weight—signifying courage, reliability, and even protection against evil spirits. Roosters crowing at dawn banish darkness. Editor: That grounding is fascinating. Note the details in the rendering of the rooster's legs, sharply contrasting with the soft washes describing the rest of their forms. The tension feels deliberate. Curator: Taito II worked during a fascinating period of Japanese history. These roosters likely evoke nostalgia for a pastoral past while engaging with then-contemporary artistic styles. They aren't simple farm birds. Editor: Consider the restricted palette too—muted browns, grays, and strategically placed blues. There’s a formal austerity. But I wonder if we should see the birds standing back-to-back like that with more nuance. Is this caution? Discord? Curator: That might very well be, the stance creates a visual paradox! And consider the societal roles the birds represent. Often a symbol of masculine virility in different cultures, even extending into the Chinese Zodiac calendar, the artwork teases the observer with this symbolic complexity. Editor: Interesting—an object of admiration and an image potentially of warning at the same time. Curator: A fascinating ambiguity indeed; Taito invites viewers into a dynamic dialogue, allowing space for many interpretations about these beautiful "Roosters." Editor: Precisely! Which enriches the experience all the more.