Swallow over the Ocean Wave
by Ohara Koson
- Date:
- description
- Medium:
- Woodblock print
- Format:
- Oban
- Publisher:
- Watanabe Shozaburo
by Ohara Koson
Koson's bird-and-flower prints are his most numerous and accessible works — he designed ~450 prints total. Common subjects in average condition remain widely available. Quality of impression, color fidelity, and publisher seal (Kokkeido preferred over Watanabe) are the key value drivers.
A swallow dips and banks over the heaving surface of an ocean wave — the tiny bird in relationship to the vastness of the sea, its aerobatic skill set against the massive, impersonal energy of moving water. Koson's swallow prints are among his most dynamic, the bird's speed and agility captured in the curve of the body and the swept-back wings. Over the ocean, the swallow's size relative to the wave creates a compositional tension between small form and large ground.
Curated cross-cuts that include this print.
Swallow over the Ocean Wave was created by Ohara Koson (小原古邨) in description.
Swallow over the Ocean Wave was published by Watanabe Shozaburo (description).
Swallow over the Ocean Wave depicts birds & flowers and seascapes.
