Northern Goshawk in a Snow-Covered Pine Tree Looking at a Tree Sparrow
Artist
Keisai Eisen 渓斉 英泉
(Japanese, 1790–1848)
Dateabout 1815
Mediumwoodblock print; inkand color on paper; o-tanzaku
Dimensions33.6 x 15.9 cm (13 1/4 x 6 1/4 in.)
ClassificationsPrints
Credit LineJohn Chandler Bancroft Collection
Object number1901.59.2579
DescriptionBirds: Northern Goshawk, Accipiter gentiles; Eurasian Tree Sparrow, Passer montanus LinneausLabel TextHawks are poetically associated with the late autumn-winter season and Eisen conveyed the cold, bleak atmosphere by asking the block-carvers and printers to render the newly fallen snow without outlines and the sky in dark grays. The artist envisioned a scene that sometimes occurs in winter: a Northern Goshawk (otaka) which rests peacefully on a snow-covered pine-branch is suddenly harassed by a Eurasian Tree Sparrow whose territory it has invaded. A black cheek spot identifies the small bird.
On View
Not on view
Utagawa Toyohiro 歌川 豊広
early 19th century
Keisai Eisen 渓斉 英泉
about 1830
