Ring sparrows in snow 1900 - 1930

Ohara Koson made "Ring Sparrows in Snow", sometime between 1900 and 1936, using woodblock print. The grey gradations in the background are so subtle. You can imagine how much patience it must have taken to build up those tones, little by little. The snowflakes are these tiny pinpricks of white. Each one is perfect, like the artist was just breathing out onto the paper. The sparrows themselves seem caught in a flurry of movement, their wings spread wide. They're not just sitting there posing, they're active. I love the way the artist captured the feeling of a cold, snowy day, when nature is still teeming with life, if you just look closely enough. It makes me think of Hokusai, in that same attention to detail, but with a softer, more intimate touch. It’s like Koson is whispering a secret about the beauty of the everyday.