Sonan's Picture Book 1832

Onishi Chinnen made this woodblock printed book, Sonan’s Picture Book, in Japan during the early to mid-19th century. Chinnen was a literati artist, a class of intellectual artist-scholars, who often explored themes of nature and personal expression in their work. Here we see a flock of birds in flight. In traditional East Asian art, birds often symbolize freedom, longevity, and good fortune. However, Chinnen lived during a time of social and political change in Japan, and his choice to depict these birds might also be seen as a yearning for escape from societal constraints. The monochrome palette and sketch-like quality of the print create a sense of immediacy, as if we are witnessing a fleeting moment in nature. Think about the stories these birds might tell if they could speak. Do they carry messages of hope, or warnings of change? In its delicate beauty, the image invites us to contemplate our own place within the larger world.