OVERVIEW
As illustrations of both nature and spirit, kachō-e (花鳥絵) or kachō-ga (花鳥画) woodblock prints have have long been regarded as a distinctive aspect of Japanese culture and tradition. A subset of the ukiyo-e (浮世絵), or ‘picture of the floating world,’ genre, kachō-e can be translated literally as ‘bird-and-flower painting.’ Each print features birds as the main subject, showcasing how each bird interacts with the nature around them. The image of the kachō-e print has remained the same throughout centuries of production – there is a certain style, or tradition, attributed to the genre that has been transmitted across generations of artists. In each piece, there is a balance between naturalism and artifice, and a specific attention to detail afforded to the main subject in the foreground. The background is often neutral or ’empty’ to draw the viewer’s focus to the birds and flowers in the piece. The scenes painted depict a certain natural ‘spirit’ or emotion through the depiction of seasons, through the motions of the birds, and through the texture of the brushwork.
This exhibition features prints that showcase how the tradition of kachō-e has been kept alive, even through ages of rapid technological change. We begin first by looking at 19th century works created by well-known ‘masters’ of the genre, Hokusai and Hiroshige. Each print, while featuring different birds in vastly different environments, adheres to the set of rules discussed above – the textured feathers on the birds and minimalistic backgrounds are distinctive aspects of each piece. We then compare these works to those of 20th century artist Ohara Koson. Although Koson’s prints were produced nearly a century after those of the genre’s ‘innovators,’ it is easy to see how the brushwork and composition kachō-e is known for has been transmitted. Each Koson print can easily be related back to pieces showcased earlier in the exhibit.
The difference in these pieces lies less within the style they were painted in and more in the production method used in their distribution. Due to the opening of the country to the Western world during the Meiji period beginning in the mid-19th century, technologies were introduced (such as photography and film) that competed directly with the Japanese woodblock medium. However, the introduction of the West to the country also brought with it the opening of a new market for this art form – there was an increase in interest among foreigners in woodblock prints as ‘artistic,’ ‘historic,’ and ‘exotic.’ With their depiction of the natural world and natural decorative appeal, bird-and-flower prints in particular had many Western buyers hoping to add pieces to their collection. Publishers, hoping to capitalize on this foreign interest in kachō-e (particularly in the works of artists such as Hiroshige and Hokusai), commissioned contemporary artists for new works intended ‘primarily for export.’ As one of these artists, Koson’s name is primarily associated with kachō-e, both in Japan and abroad. Because of new production methods, Koson’s work was able to be produced for cheaper, sold for cheaper, and ‘mass-produced’ with a Western audience in mind – however, despite this modern method of production, Koson drew upon on the works and traditions of previous artists to inform his own art. Koson’s works ensured that the tradition of the genre lived on, while also appealing to the Western desire for Japanese aesthetic, ‘technical perfection,’ and ease of accessibility.
(As a part of my research in the creation of this exhibition, I had the privilege of being able to view the Koson prints in-person at Connecticut College. The fact that I was able to interact with these prints like this speaks, at least somewhat, to their accessibility. In addition, being able to view the prints in-person allowed me to better view the visual qualities of each one – the texture of the pieces in particular stood out to me far more than when I viewed them online, with each bird seeming to pop from their respective piece. I have included multiple pictures of each print that I took in this exhibition – while they do not capture the experience of seeing the pieces for oneself, I hope that the distinct characteristics of kachō-e that I saw are visible.)
Culture: Japanese
Title: Untitled (Egrets in rain)
Work Type: Color woodcut
Date: 1926
Material: Ink on paper
Measurements: 37 x 24 cm
Repository: Wetmore Print Collection, Art History Dept, Cummings Arts Center, Connecticut College, New London
Donated by Prof. Caroline Black, Botany Dept, Connecticut College
(Photographs by Hana Tanabe)
Description: Both the background and the foreground contribute the sense of motion that this Koson piece conveys. The background is a dull green gradient that fades slowly to grey, then to off-white at the bottom of the print. The diagonal lines etched into the green gives the appearance of rain steadily falling, while the fading of the gradient appears to be a mist rising up from unseen water. The hanging branches in the background, while not the subject of the piece (as can be seen by the lineless, loose brushstrokes used to illustrate them), sway in the same diagonal direction the rain falls in – this, along with the forward movement of the egrets, evokes a sense of wind and movement. The egrets themselves pop out in the sea of green, their white feathers given a soft outline to distinguish them from the background of the piece.
Culture: Japanese
Title: Untitled (Diving bird)
Work Type: Color woodcut
Date: Unknown
Material: Ink on paper
Measurements: 35 x 19 cm
Repository: Wetmore Print Collection, Art History Dept, Cummings Arts Center, Connecticut College, New London
Donated by Prof. Caroline Black, Botany Dept, Connecticut College
(Photographs by Hana Tanabe)
Description: While this Koson print features very little color that might pop out to a viewer’s eyes, the main focal point of the diving bird is enough to communicate the vitality and spirit of the piece. The background is mostly empty, with a small section of dull orange gradient at the top of the print – however, hints of this orange coloration can be seen as the eye travels down the piece, the background evoking the sense of the sky behind the action. The bird features the widest variety of color (a dull orange, red, and blue) and texture in the piece, ensuring that it draws in the eyes of its viewer. The bird is diving down, perhaps toward the water, while the hanging foliage of the plant seem to emphasize the bird’s downward motion. The feathers of the bird are highly textured, while the leaves of the plant are painted with a flat color – this, again, places the emphasis on the action of the bird.
BIBLIOGRAPHY
Images & Labels
- Katasushika Hokusai, Asian; Far East Asian; Japanese, 1760 – 1894, (artist),. 1825 – 1830. Grosbeak and Oshiroi. Drawings and Watercolors. Place: The Minneapolis Institute of Art, Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA, Bequest of Richard P. Gale, 74.1.203, http://www.artsmia.org/. https://library.artstor.org/asset/AMICO_MINIAPOLIS_103820925 (access to Artstor required).
- Katsushika Hokusai, Asian; Far East Asian; Japanese, 1760 – 1849, (artist),. 1830 – 1835. Two Cranes on a Snowy Pine. Prints. Place: The Minneapolis Institute of Art, Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA, Bequest of Richard P. Gale, 74.1.241, http://www.artsmia.org/. https://library.artstor.org/asset/AMICO_MINIAPOLIS_103820956 (access to Artstor required).
- Katsushika Hokusai, Asian; Far East Asian; Japanese, 1760 – 1849, (artist),. 1830 – 1835. Two Cranes on a Snowy Pine. Prints. Place: The Minneapolis Institute of Art, Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA, Bequest of Richard P. Gale, 74.1.241, http://www.artsmia.org/. https://library.artstor.org/asset/AMICO_MINIAPOLIS_103820956 (access to Artstor required).
- SHOSON, Japanese. c.1927. Untitled, cockatoo & pomegranate. color woodcut. Place: Wetmore Print Collection, Art History Dept, Cummings Arts Center, Connecticut College, New London, Donated by Prof. Caroline Black, Botany Dept, Connecticut College. https://library.artstor.org/asset/CONNASIAN_106310758464 (access to Artstor required).
- SHOSON, Japanese. c.1926. Untitled, egrets in rain. color woodcut. Place: Wetmore Print Collection, Art History Dept, Cummings Arts Center, Connecticut College, New London, Donated by Prof. Caroline Black, Botany Dept, Connecticut College. https://library.artstor.org/asset/CONNASIAN_106310758425 (access to Artstor required).
- KOSON, Japanese. Untitled, diving bird. color woodcut. Place: Wetmore Print Collection, Art History Dept, Cummings Arts Center, Connecticut College, New London, Donated by Prof. Caroline Black, Botany Dept, Connecticut College. https://library.artstor.org/asset/CONNASIAN_106310758424 (access to Artstor required).
Texts
- Newland, Amy Reigle., Jan. Perrée, and Robert. Schaap. Crows, Cranes & Camellias : the Natural World of Ohara Koson 1877-1945 : Japanese Prints from the Jan Perrée Collection Leiden: Hotei Pub., 2001.
- Harkins, William E. “SHIJŌ BIRD, ANIMAL AND FLOWER PRINTS IN THE MEIJI PERIOD.” Impressions, no. 12 (1986): 10–12. http://www.jstor.org/stable/42597689.
- Putney, Carolyn M., Kendall H. Brown, Shūko Koyama, Paul Binnie, and Brian P. Kennedy. Fresh Impressions : Early Modern Japanese Prints Toledo: Toledo Museum of Art, 2013.