Notebook Birds and Flowers of Japan

This booklet presents a selection of bird-and-flower prints set between land and water by the Japanese artist Ohara Koson (1877–1945). Most were published by Watanabe Shosaburo, the driving force behind the shin-hanga (“new prints”) movement, of which Koson was one of the leading representatives. Inspired by the Impressionists, shin-hanga artists incorporated Western elements such as nuanced effects of light and a heightened sense of personal expression. Executed with remarkable precision, Koson’s birds’ plumage and delicate flora are enhanced by velvety backgrounds that evoke a calm and peaceful atmosphere.