Details

Ohara Shoson is known as the artist of crows. His designs featuring these daring and highly intelligent birds have always been in great demand. This design, in particular, was so popular the publisher issued it in two versions, one with a gray background and another with an orange-red back background, as is the case with this impression. Of the two versions, this coloration lends itself to a more dramatic and compelling print. One can almost hear the cawing crow in the cold and crisp winter air.

Connoisseur's Note

This particular impression is noteworthy for its visible wood grain in the background accompanied by a dramatic bokashi, or color gradation, of the red-orange pigment bleeding out to a lighter shade. The crow is executed exceedingly well with an overprinting of a shiny lacquer-like pigment that adds volume to the crow's feathers and heightens the tension of this scene.