Koson's vast output of ~450 designs spans birds, flowers, fish, insects, and occasional landscapes. While his large production keeps most prints accessible, early Kokkeido-period impressions with muted, elegant Meiji-era coloring are distinctly more sought after than the brighter later Watanabe editions.
A crow sits on a bare branch silhouetted against a luminous full moon. The composition is one of stark simplicity, with the dark form of the bird and branch set against the glowing disk of the moon and a dark sky rendered in deep indigo. The bokashi gradation of the sky creates a powerful atmospheric effect.
Curated cross-cuts that include this print.
Crow in Moonlight (月に烏) was created by Ohara Koson (小原古邨) in c. 1927.
Crow in Moonlight uses Bokashi, on color woodblock print.
Crow in Moonlight was published by Watanabe Shozaburo (c. 1927).
Crow in Moonlight depicts birds & flowers, moonlight, and night scenes.
