A Hawk Perched on a Snow-covered Pine Tree 18th century

Curator: This woodblock print, titled "A Hawk Perched on a Snow-covered Pine Tree," dates back to the 18th century and is attributed to Isoda Koryūsai. It’s a fantastic example of Ukiyo-e, now housed at the Metropolitan Museum. What strikes you initially? Editor: What strikes me? Well, the stark stillness of it all! That hawk, so intent, poised against the delicate, almost fragile plum blossoms dusted with snow... It's like a held breath. What do you make of the composition, this feeling of serene expectancy? Curator: Absolutely! The artist creates a sense of quiet anticipation. In its time, art like this functioned within a complex network of social practices and commercial markets. The image could signify themes of strength, perseverance and beauty even within a harsh landscape. Such qualities found favour among the merchant class. Editor: The snowy branches create a perfect little throne, don’t they? Power, but on a branch of something quite pretty and delicate. I am immediately pulled in, but I think it is worth exploring further, perhaps beyond the immediate symbolism of power and the transience of beauty. Curator: It certainly opens onto complex discussions about how cultural meanings and values circulate and are reinterpreted in artistic production. Take the subject matter: hawks often appeared as symbols of warrior prowess, adopted during the Edo period by diverse audiences. This print then also offers an intersection of socio-political meaning as well. Editor: Thinking about Koryūsai’s own path, switching from samurai to artist later in life…does that inform your sense of it, and maybe how these merchant audiences interpreted this image? The layering there—samurai symbol made print for merchants—is incredibly compelling, isn't it? Curator: It certainly adds a layer of depth, knowing his background. The tension between his past role and his present audience undoubtedly colours our reading of this work, understanding the visual strategies he employs to transmit the artistic, social, and commercial meanings so pertinent at the time. Editor: It’s incredible how this deceptively simple scene speaks volumes. And thinking about his switch of allegiances... how different the message is when it’s re-contextualized! What starts as a portrait becomes a silent revolution. Curator: Exactly! The visual and material history embedded in “A Hawk Perched on a Snow-covered Pine Tree” provides a snapshot into not only artistic genius, but of society in transit and transmission too. Thank you for giving this such life.