Kingfisher, Irises and Wild Pinks
Woodblock Print
ca. 1834 (made)
ca. 1834 (made)
| Artist/Maker | |
| Place of origin |
Woodblock prints such as this were produced in large numbers in 18th- and 19th-century Japan. They were created by artists, block cutters and printers working independently to the instructions of specialist publishers. Bird and flower prints such as this were very popular. Katsushika Hokusai was especially famous for his work in this field. His signature appears on the bottom right of the image, along with the official censor's seal and that of the publisher. Above the picture is a description of the image and, to the left, a poem. There was an enormous demand for these exciting, colourful works among merchants and artisans. When Japanese prints first reached the West they were also relatively inexpensive, but they soon became highly prized items and prices rose considerably. Hokusai became the best known and most admired Japanese print artist in the West. His depictions of natural forms had a profound influence on British artists and designers.
Object details
| Category | |
| Object type | |
| Title | Kingfisher, Irises and Wild Pinks (assigned by artist) |
| Materials and techniques | Colour woodblock print |
| Brief description | Print: Katsushika Hokusai: 'Kingfisher with Irises and Wild Pinks', Japanese, ca. 1834 |
| Physical description | Kacho-ga, or 'bird and flower prints', were a common subject for Hokusai, usually appearing in the chuban or horizontal oban size. In the chuban size, the Chinese influence is particularly evident from the static depiction of birds and flowers combined with a Chinese poem or waka poem. In this print Hokusai portrays a kingfisher, perhaps making a quick descent toward a river which appears to be flowing beneath the flowers. Chuban size. |
| Dimensions |
|
| Style | |
| Marks and inscriptions | Signed 'Zen Hokusai Iitsu hitsu' ('From the brush of Hokusai') |
| Gallery label |
|
| Object history | Purchased from C. Rousseil, accessioned in 1899. This acquisition information reflects that found in the Asia Department registers, as part of a 2022 provenance research project. Made in Edo (present day Tokyo), Japan by Katsushika Hokusai (born in Edo,176, died there in 1849); published by Nishimuraya Yohachi |
| Summary | Woodblock prints such as this were produced in large numbers in 18th- and 19th-century Japan. They were created by artists, block cutters and printers working independently to the instructions of specialist publishers. Bird and flower prints such as this were very popular. Katsushika Hokusai was especially famous for his work in this field. His signature appears on the bottom right of the image, along with the official censor's seal and that of the publisher. Above the picture is a description of the image and, to the left, a poem. There was an enormous demand for these exciting, colourful works among merchants and artisans. When Japanese prints first reached the West they were also relatively inexpensive, but they soon became highly prized items and prices rose considerably. Hokusai became the best known and most admired Japanese print artist in the West. His depictions of natural forms had a profound influence on British artists and designers. |
| Collection | |
| Accession number | E.599-1899 |
About this object record
Explore the Collections contains over a million catalogue records, and over half a million images. It is a working database that includes information compiled over the life of the museum. Some of our records may contain offensive and discriminatory language, or reflect outdated ideas, practice and analysis. We are committed to addressing these issues, and to review and update our records accordingly.
You can write to us to suggest improvements to the record.
Suggest feedback
You can write to us to suggest improvements to the record.
Suggest feedback
| Record created | December 8, 2002 |
| Record URL |
Download as: JSONIIIF Manifest
