Great tit on branch with pink flowers 1900 - 1930

This print of a great tit on a branch with pink flowers was made by Ohara Koson sometime between the late 19th and early 20th century using traditional Japanese woodblock printing techniques. I can almost feel the artist’s hand carefully carving each line into the woodblock, and then layering the colours just so, gradually building up the image. The delicacy is something else! It's not just a picture of a bird and flowers but an entire world rendered in soft pinks, greens, and greys. I wonder what Koson was thinking as he created this piece? Maybe he was trying to capture the fleeting beauty of nature, or the simple joy of a bird’s song on a spring day. The bird's open beak makes me think of it singing out loud, right in the middle of the composition. It makes you feel good! Artists, you know, we're always chatting with each other across time through our work. Koson’s print reminds me of similar themes in the work of other artists like Hiroshige. It shows us how painting is a conversation, with ideas and techniques passed down and reinterpreted, each artist adding their own voice to the mix.