Title: A Shoal of Fishes series of 20: Slide #9
Creator: HIROSHIGE, Ando
Date: 1840
Repository: Wetmore Print Collection, Art History Dept, Cummings Arts Center, Connecticut College, New London,Donated by Prof. Caroline Black, Botany Dept, Connecticut College
Size: 26 x 36 cm
Medium: Ink on Paper
Work Type: Color Woodcut
Picture Description: Center of the paper is a large, very detailed, dark red crawfish with blue eyes facing left, antennae pointing behind it to the right. The top left corner has Japanese writing. The bottom right corner has two small white shrimp near the tail of the crawfish. One higher, facing left, with its body outstretched. The other is bellow, facing the right, with its tail tucked in. In the background the bottom of the page is blue water color which fades with the white of the page giving the image of a beach. The top similarly has a thinner orange line that indicates the sky.
Analysis: What stands out to me that makes this Japanese print different from paintings is its use of sharp angles and finer details to create a realistic picture of the crawfish and shrimp. When looked at closer the details on the crawfish especially are very contrasting and easy to observe. Japanese paintings on the other hand while they can be detailed, cannot produce the hard angles and clear color contrasts with a brush like how a woodcut print can. This is made even more clear when compared to the non-printed details on the paper like the writing in the corner and water color background.
References:
Connecticut College Caroline Black Collection of Japanese Prints
Artstor
Connecticut College Japanese Prints Collections inventory
