Red Snapper Underwater
by Ohno Bakufu
- Date:
- n.d.
- Medium:
- Color woodblock print
- Format:
- Oban
- Source:
- Art Institute of Chicago
Typical Price
$1,000–$8,000. Common fish prints: $1,000–$2,500. Key value factors: The 'Great Japanese Fish' series is his signature work and most collected. Individual fish prints vary in desirability. Complete sets are rare.
Description
"Red Snapper Underwater" presents the tai (red snapper; Pagrus major) in its natural element — viewed from below the surface, surrounded by water — rather than laid out for portrait as was typical in fish illustration. The tai is the most auspicious of all Japanese fish, associated with celebration, festivity, and the god Ebisu, and served at weddings, New Year banquets, and occasions of rejoicing. Bakufu's underwater perspective is an unusual compositional choice that gives the fish a dynamic, living presence quite different from the market-display approach common in natural history illustration.
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Frequently Asked Questions
Red Snapper Underwater was created by Ohno Bakufu (大野麦風) in n.d..
Red Snapper Underwater depicts fish and seascapes.