Schildpadden c. 1826

Totoya Hokkei created this woodblock print, "Turtles," around the early 19th century. The image presents two turtles, one atop the other, set against a backdrop that merges naturalistic elements with blocks of flat colour and text. The composition is striking in its juxtaposition of textures and forms. The turtles themselves are rendered with meticulous detail; each scute of their shells defined by fine lines, creating a complex pattern. Below, a band of blue suggests water, while clusters of pine needles add depth. A vertical panel to the right is filled with text and punctuated by stylised plum blossoms. This layering disrupts any conventional sense of pictorial space. Hokkei challenges our perception by integrating textual and natural elements into one plane. The print invites us to consider the interplay between image and word, representation and abstraction. In this context, the turtles transcend their literal form. They become signs within a semiotic framework, urging us to question fixed categories of art and nature.