Woodpecker (B) [Kitsutsuki (B)]

Woodpecker (B), dated 1962, is the second variant in Kawano's woodpecker series and one of his most precisely dated bird subjects. The B designation indicates an alternative to an earlier composition — perhaps a different tree, a different pose, or a different color palette. Produced in 1962, near the end of Kawano's life, this color woodblock print demonstrates his sustained engagement with natural subjects alongside his better-known figurative work. The woodpecker's industry and the woodblock artist's craft find their natural kinship here.