Cat Catching a Mouse 1930

Ohara Koson made this woodblock print, "Cat Catching a Mouse," sometime between the late 19th and early 20th centuries. The charm of this piece lies in its simple, direct approach. The textures here feel almost tactile. Koson’s use of visible woodgrain gives the background a kind of soft, diffused glow, like looking through a screen. The cat itself, with its mix of bold black markings and delicate white fur, shows off the incredible detail achievable with woodblock printing. Then there's the color—the muted grays and blacks, punctuated by that brilliant red bow and the glint of the cat's golden bell. I keep coming back to the cat's outstretched paw. It's caught mid-reach, frozen in a moment of anticipation. It tells a whole story about predator and prey, about stillness and sudden movement, but also, strangely, about play. It reminds me a little of Utamaro's prints, in the way it captures a slice of everyday life with such precision and care. Art, after all, is just life seen through a beautifully crafted lens.