Crow on a Rock 1800 - 1868

Sesson Shūkei painted this crow on paper with ink sometime in the 16th century. The crow, depicted perched on a rock, with sparse reeds behind, becomes a stark symbol amidst the vast emptiness. The crow, often seen as an omen or a messenger in various cultures, is particularly potent in Japan, where it is both a divine messenger and a symbol of the wild. Consider its presence in other works—the raven in Edgar Allan Poe’s poem, for example, where it embodies despair and the haunting permanence of loss. This bird resurfaces in different guises, each time laden with the weight of cultural and psychological projection. This image has the power to evoke a primeval connection, tapping into our collective memories of nature's omens. The crow, with its sharp call, embodies our most primal fears and instincts, engaging viewers on a subconscious level. Its meaning is not fixed; it is cyclical, continuously evolving with each re-emergence throughout history.