The artwork titled “Cormorant” by Ohara Koson, created around 1910 in Japan, exemplifies the Shin-hanga art movement and belongs to the genre of wildlife painting. This piece, executed on paper, skillfully captures the essence of a cormorant in its natural habitat.
The artwork portrays a single cormorant, a type of waterbird, depicted with an impressive level of detail and grace. The bird is set against a serene, pale blue background suggesting a body of water, its ripples subtly rendered. Overhanging branches and scattered stones in the upper section of the composition add to the natural setting, creating a tranquil ambiance. The cormorant’s black plumage is meticulously illustrated, with its wings spread as if in mid-flight. Its posture and the careful selection of colors evoke a sense of movement and vitality, characteristic of the Shin-hanga movement which aimed to revive traditional Japanese woodblock prints with a modern touch.
