Pheasants in the Snow on a Pine Branch over a Waterfall 1760 - 1780

Isoda Koryūsai created this woodblock print, "Pheasants in the Snow on a Pine Branch over a Waterfall," in the late 18th century. It invites us to consider the place of art within a hierarchical society. Koryūsai was trained in the Kano school, an artistic institution endorsed by the shogunate. This print, however, reflects the rising popularity of ukiyo-e, or "pictures of the floating world," which catered to the tastes of the merchant class. The natural scene offers a serene escape from the rigid social norms of Edo-period Japan. Though the subject may seem apolitical, the very act of producing art for the commoner was in itself a progressive statement. To understand this shift, we can research the economic conditions that allowed the merchant class to flourish and challenge the established order. We might also investigate the ways in which artists navigated the patronage system to express their own creative vision.