Reader Collection > Exhibitions > EYE-CATCHERS  100 Japanese flower-bird prints

Size -   Size matters when it comes to looking at flowers, fruits and birds. Extremely large or small individuals are more likely to attract our attention because they are less common and, therefore, more eye-catching. Pictures 54 to 57 show flower displays of extreme size. In pictures 58 to 60 large flowers or fruits have been combined with small birds to emphasize the naturally-occurring difference in their respective sizes. Large birds are impressive on their own as shown in pictures 61 and 62. Other artists manipulated the size of their subjects to create imaginary giants or dwarfs for our viewing pleasure. Pictures 63 to 66 provide four examples. The size of picture itself, rather than the size of its subjects, makes it eye-catching in some cases. Picture size ranges from very large to very small in pictures 67 to 69.

54   Small to large flowers - pheasant’s eye (Adonis amurensis) and Eurasian siskin (Carduelis spinus) by Bakufū Ohno, 90 x 135 mm, woodblock

55   Small to large flowers - tree peony (Paeonia suffruticosa) and blue magpie (Urocissa erythrorhyncha) by Bakufū Ohno, 90 x 135 mm, woodblock

56   Small to large flowers - camellia (Camellia japonica) and Eurasian tree sparrow (Passer montanus) by Bakufū Ohno, 90 x 135 mm, woodblock

57   Large display of small flowers - Japanese mountain cherry (Prunus serrulata) and oriental turtle-dove (Streptopelia orientalis) by Tōshi Yoshida, 500 x 300 mm, woodblock

58   Large flower and small bird - sacred lotus (Nelumbo nucifera) and zitting cisticola (Cisticola juncidis) by Koson Ohara, 190 x 350 mm, woodblock

59   Large fruit and small bird - Japanese persimmon (Diospyros kaki) and Japanese white-eye (Zosterops japonicus) by Koson Ohara, 190 x 350 mm, woodblock

60   Large fruit and small bird - Chinese cucumber (Trichosanthes kirilowii) and domestic fowl (Gallus gallus) by Koson Ohara, 180 x350 mm, woodblock

61   Small and large birds - Bunchflower daffodil (Narcissus tazetta), northern goshawk (Accipiter gentilis) and Eurasian tree sparrow (Passer montanus) by Hiroshige Utagawa, 130 x 380 mm, woodblock

62   Large bird – Unidentified flowers and lesser adjutant stork (Leptoptilos javanicus) by Sadao Watanabe, 450 x 530 mm, stencil

63   Giant bird - Japanese iris (Iris ensata) and little egret (Egretta garzetta) by Hiroshige Utagawa, 175 x 385 mm, woodblock

64   Dwarf bird - Japanese iris (Iris ensata), water-lily (Nuphar japonicum), Chinese arrowhead (Sagittaria trifolia) and little egret (Egretta garzetta) by Hōitsu Sakai, 130 x 255 mm, woodblock

65   Giant flower and dwarf bird – camellia (Camellia japonica) and Japanese quail (Coturnix japonica) by Kaoru Kawano, 150 x 115 mm, woodblock

66   Dwarf flower and giant bird - unidentified flowers and long-tailed tit (Aegithalos caudatus) by Tadashi Ikai, 365 x 195 mm, mezzotint

67   Large picture – Japanese chestnut (Castanea crenata) and northern goshawk (Accipiter gentilis) by Tomikichirō Tokuriki, 300 x 775 mm, woodblock

68   Small picture - penstemon (Penstemon sp.) and hermit hummingbird (Phaethornis sp.) by Shigeki Kuroda, 70 x 95 mm, intaglio

69   Small picture - Penstemon (Penstemon sp.) and hummingbird by Shigeki Kuroda, 115  x 70 mm, intaglio

70   Large picture - Japanese mountain cherry (Prunus serrulata) and large-billed crow (Corvus macrorhynchos) by Koson Ohara, 170 x 330 mm, woodblock

71   Small picture - Japanese mountain cherry (Prunus serrulata) and large-billed crow (Corvus macrorhynchos) by Koson Ohara, 90 x 140 mm, woodblock

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