Crows Fly by Red Sky at Sunset 1880

Shibata Zeshin created this striking woodblock print of crows against a sunset sky sometime in the 19th century. The crow is a multifaceted symbol in Japanese culture, associated both with divine intervention and with more earthly concerns. In Shinto, the crow is venerated as a messenger of the gods but it's also associated with the transient nature of life due to its status as a carrion eater. Zeshin made his living creating fine and decorative arts for the emerging middle class. His integration of popular imagery with established artistic forms reflects the shifting social landscape of Japan during the late Edo and early Meiji periods as feudalism gave way to a more modern society. Historians interested in further understanding Zeshin's art might look to period sources such as newspapers, diaries, and business records to better grasp how his work was viewed by his contemporaries. This print, like all art, reveals its full meaning when seen in its proper historical and social context.