Koppel eenden c. 1900 - 1936

Ohara Koson’s ‘Koppel eenden’ depicts a pair of ducks in flight rendered through a subtle use of color and line. Koson produced this woodblock print amidst the Shin-Hanga art movement in Japan, around the turn of the 20th century. At this time, Japanese artists were reckoning with modernization and Westernization. Shin-Hanga aimed to revitalize traditional ukiyo-e woodblock printing, but also adapted Western artistic elements. This piece may remind us that the natural world is often gendered. The birds are paired, a male and female, which emphasizes the traditional organization of society into reproductive units. This lens asks us, is the artist merely capturing the natural world, or is he participating in the naturalization of gender roles? Koson captures a sense of movement and lightness. There is a delicate balance between tradition and modernity, representation and social reflection that invites us to consider our own place in the natural and social world.