1830 (ca.), Utagawa Hiroshige, Small bird and cotton rose; Parakeet and bamboo; Cockarel and bush clover; Owl and maple tree -- British Museum (London)
From the museum label: In the early 1830s, alongside his work on landscapes, Hiroshige began making pictures of birds and flowers. These four miniature prints are among his earliest designs on the theme. Each contains a poem. The block cutter skilfully captured the spontaneity of Hiroshige's brushstrokes. These small gems may have convinced several leading publishers to commission his later, more ambitious kacho hanga (bird-and-flower prints).
1830 (ca.), Utagawa Hiroshige, Small bird and cotton rose; Parakeet and bamboo; Cockarel and bush clover; Owl and maple tree -- British Museum (London)
From the museum label: In the early 1830s, alongside his work on landscapes, Hiroshige began making pictures of birds and flowers. These four miniature prints are among his earliest designs on the theme. Each contains a poem. The block cutter skilfully captured the spontaneity of Hiroshige's brushstrokes. These small gems may have convinced several leading publishers to commission his later, more ambitious kacho hanga (bird-and-flower prints).