Early Spring — 早春

Early Spring (早春), a woodblock print by Uemura Shoen, shows two small birds perched on a snow-dusted branch — one with a vivid blue head, back, and tail and an orange-yellow breast, the other in soft grey-brown plumage with pale orange flanks and a blue tail. Slender twigs rise from the branch bearing small white five-petaled blossoms and pale green buds, set against a flat, pale silver-grey background with no other setting details. The muted blue, orange, white, and grey palette and spare, still composition give the scene a quiet, cold-weather calm.