Finch on Magnolia Branch by Utagawa Hiroshige

Finch on Magnolia Branch c. 1835

print, ink, color-on-paper

landscape illustration sketch

childish illustration

water colours

print

japan

curved letter used

handmade artwork painting

ink

fluid art

color-on-paper

wedding around the world

watercolour bleed

watercolour illustration

watercolor

"Finch on Magnolia Branch" (c. 1835) is a woodblock print by the renowned Japanese artist Utagawa Hiroshige (1797-1858). This delicate artwork, housed in the Minneapolis Institute of Art, showcases Hiroshige's masterful skill in capturing the beauty of nature. The print depicts a single finch perched on a magnolia branch, its delicate plumage rendered with meticulous detail. The artist's use of subtle color transitions and delicate lines evokes a sense of tranquility, highlighting the delicate balance between the bird and its surroundings. This chūtanzaku, a small-format print, is a testament to Hiroshige's ability to convey depth and emotion within a limited space.

Comments

minneapolisinstituteofart about 1 year ago

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In designing his prints of birds and flowers, Hiroshige seems to have been influenced by the work of Shijō school artists, who produced paintings in a spontaneous, simplified manner. Here, for example, the block carver captured the rapid manner in which Hiroshige rendered the slender branch, and the "boneless" (without outlines) way he depicted the leaves. The lyrical freshness of this style accords well with the buoyant mood of the poem; Delightful!After the cherry blossoms, the magnolias.