Papegaai in een pruimenboom c. 1805 - 1810

Kitao Shigemasa's "Parrot in a Plum Tree" is a delicate woodblock print featuring soft colors and precise lines. The parrot itself is a study in contrasting textures. The smooth curve of its head meets the feathery texture of its body, creating a tactile contrast. The plum branch is bare, save for a few blossoms that hint at spring and a few drooping branches that hang almost parallel to the left edge of the artwork. Shigemasa’s composition plays with the tension between naturalism and stylized design. The parrot is rendered with careful attention to detail, yet it is placed within a flattened space that emphasizes the surface of the print. This tension underscores a broader question about the relationship between representation and abstraction. Are we seeing a depiction of nature or an arrangement of forms and colors? Notice how Shigemasa destabilizes the traditional landscape composition. It doesn't seek to imitate nature but rather to engage in a dialogue with it. Through careful observation and formal manipulation, the artist invites us to question our assumptions about art and the natural world.