Ganzen bij volle maan 1930 - 1945

Ohara Koson made this woodblock print titled, "Geese in Full Moon" during a time when Japan was opening up to Western influences while also seeking to reaffirm its own cultural identity. Koson, trained in traditional Japanese painting, became a leading figure in the Shin-hanga movement, which revitalized traditional ukiyo-e woodblock printing. He focused on kacho-e, images of birds and flowers. These subjects were not merely decorative; they were deeply intertwined with Japanese culture and spirituality, embodying harmony, balance, and a reverence for the natural world. Here, geese fly across a stylized moonlit sky. The birds are not simply presented naturalistically but are imbued with a sense of movement and freedom. Consider the cultural context: the goose symbolizes fidelity, transition, and good fortune. Koson’s rendering taps into centuries of artistic and literary representations, updating them for a modern audience. Koson’s geese evoke a sense of longing and belonging, capturing the transient beauty of the natural world. In this work we see the artist grappling with questions of cultural identity, tradition, and modernity.