Little Egrets in flight 1925 - 1936

Ohara Koson made this print of little egrets sometime between 1900 and 1936. It's like a little poem about birds in flight, with soft grey tones and delicate lines. I can just imagine Koson, totally focused, carving each line of those birds' feathers into the woodblock. These birds, they're not just sitting pretty; they're on a mission. Maybe they're heading home, or off to find some tasty snacks in a nearby pond. The artist captures such graceful movement, so economical in its rendering. It reminds me of the work of other Japanese printmakers, like Hokusai and Hiroshige, who were also obsessed with capturing the beauty of the natural world. You know, when you look at a print like this, you're not just seeing an image. You're also seeing the artist's hand, the history of printmaking, and the ongoing conversation between artists across time. Art’s less about answers, more about the questions it helps us ask.