Hawk hunting for hare 1900 - 1910

Ohara Koson made this woodblock print, Hawk hunting for hare, sometime between 1877 and 1945, with the kind of intense observation that you only get through process. There’s an incredible stillness despite all the implied movement, and the drama about to unfold. Look at the way the bird’s wings are outstretched – like a grey, feathered explosion against the soft rain. It gives the impression of absolute focus, of an energy focused entirely on the hare, that little smudge of white in the bottom left. It’s as if all the greys and browns of the print have been distilled and purified into that one, small point of whiteness. The marks are amazing – such delicate, clean lines! You could almost mistake it for a drawing, if you didn't know what to look for. It reminds me a bit of Hokusai, but somehow quieter, more intimate. And, like all the best art, it leaves you with a feeling that there's so much more to see, so much more to understand.