KESHI TO TORI (poppy and bird)

KESHI TO TORI — Poppy and Bird — a kachō-ga composition pairing the vivid red poppy flower with a bird, the strong color contrast of red bloom and the bird's own coloring creating a composition of visual energy. Kimura's poppy and bird subject belongs to a tradition of Japanese bird-and-flower printmaking that consistently sought dramatic pairings of vivid color, and the poppy's red against the bird's plumage offered exactly the kind of contrast that animated the best kachō-ga compositions.