Details

In Goldfish Bowl and a Cat, Ohara Shoson presents a whimsical yet precisely observed domestic tableau. A wide-eyed kitten, adorned with a red ribbon and bell, crouches in tense fascination before a round glass bowl teeming with goldfish. The cat’s expression is a study in curiosity and concentration, its whiskers taut and body frozen in a moment of imminent pounce—or playful hesitation.

Set against a soft orange gradient background that evokes the warmth of an interior lit by afternoon sun, the composition balances charm and compositional elegance. The transparency of the water and glass is rendered with remarkable subtlety, allowing the goldfish to shimmer with lifelike vitality. A small net and bonsai planter complete the scene, suggesting a careful, cultivated setting where nature, even in miniature, stirs the instincts of the domestic animal.

Connoisseur's Note

Ohara Shoson, celebrated for his kacho-e (bird-and-flower prints), reveals in this 1933 work a lighter, more playful dimension of his artistry. While many of his compositions focus on the elegance of cranes or the poised alertness of hawks, this print channels the quieter delight of everyday moments. It also demonstrates his technical mastery: the fur of the kitten is rendered in finely carved lines, while the watery interior of the bowl shifts in hue with near-translucent delicacy.

Beneath the scene’s gentle humor lies an artful reflection on the boundaries between wild instinct and domesticity, perception and illusion. The circular form of the bowl and the net below echoes the curvature of the cat’s arched posture, creating a visual rhythm that captures the viewer’s gaze from feline to fish and back again. Goldfish Bowl and a Cat stands as an exquisite example of Shin-Hanga’s ability to elevate the ordinary to the poetic—imbuing everyday life with grace, narrative tension, and enduring charm.