{"product_id":"bull-headed-shrike-and-bluebird-with-saxifrage-and-wild-strawberry-katsushika-hokusai","title":"Bull-headed Shrike and Bluebird with Saxifrage and Wild Strawberry - Katsushika Hokusai","description":"\u003cp\u003eA delicate kacho-ga woodblock print by Katsushika Hokusai, featuring a bull-headed shrike and bluebird amidst wild strawberry and saxifrage.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThis woodblock print belongs to a series of kacho-ga, or bird-and-flower pictures, produced by Katsushika Hokusai during the 1830s. The composition features a bull-headed shrike in flight above a bluebird, which descends toward a cluster of saxifrage and wild strawberry plants. Hokusai employs a balanced arrangement, allowing the negative space of the paper to provide a sense of air and movement around the avian subjects.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe print demonstrates the technical precision of the Edo-period woodblock process. The colour palette remains restrained, relying on soft greens, muted pinks, and subtle blue gradients at the top of the frame to suggest the sky. The calligraphic lines defining the feathers and the veins of the leaves show the artist's mastery of the brush, which was then transferred to the cherry wood blocks by skilled carvers. The inclusion of Japanese text, identifying the species depicted, aligns with the educational and aesthetic goals of the kacho-ga genre, which sought to document the natural world with both accuracy and artistic grace.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eUnlike the more dramatic, large-scale compositions found in his famous series of views of Mount Fuji, this work focuses on the quiet observation of nature. The interaction between the birds and the flora is captured in a moment of stillness, despite the implied motion of the shrike. The print reflects the broader interest in botanical and ornithological study that permeated Japanese art during this period. It serves as an example of the collaborative nature of ukiyo-e production, where the artist, carver, and printer worked in concert to achieve the final result. The paper texture and the subtle application of pigment remain characteristic of high-quality impressions from this era, offering a glimpse into the refined aesthetic preferences of the nineteenth-century Japanese public.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cdiv style=\"margin-top:2rem;padding-top:1.5rem;border-top:1px solid #e5e5e5;\"\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"font-size:0.85rem;color:#888;font-weight:600;margin:0 0 0.75rem;text-transform:uppercase;letter-spacing:0.05em;\"\u003eYou might also like\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cdiv style=\"display:flex;flex-wrap:wrap;gap:0.5rem;\"\u003e\n\u003ca href=\"\/products\/impression-sunrise-claude-monet-1\" style=\"display:inline-block;background:#f8f9fa;border:1px solid #e5e5e5;border-radius:20px;padding:0.35rem 0.85rem;font-size:0.8rem;color:#2a555a;font-weight:500;text-decoration:none !important;background-image:none !important;\"\u003eImpression, Sunrise - Claude Monet — Claude Monet\u003c\/a\u003e\n\u003ca href=\"\/products\/hamamatsu-from-the-series-fifty-three-stations-of-the-tokaido-katsushika-hokusai\" style=\"display:inline-block;background:#f8f9fa;border:1px solid #e5e5e5;border-radius:20px;padding:0.35rem 0.85rem;font-size:0.8rem;color:#2a555a;font-weight:500;text-decoration:none !important;background-image:none !important;\"\u003eHamamatsu, from the series Fifty-three Stations of the Tokaido - Katsushika Hokusai — Katsushika Hokusai\u003c\/a\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e","brand":"Katsushika Hokusai","offers":[{"title":"Fine Art Poster \/ A4 (21x29.7 cm) \/ -","offer_id":58942819008847,"sku":null,"price":28.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true},{"title":"Fine Art Poster \/ A3 (29.7 x 42  cm) \/ -","offer_id":58942901879119,"sku":null,"price":35.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true},{"title":"Fine Art Poster \/ A2 (42 x 59.4  cm) \/ -","offer_id":58942901911887,"sku":null,"price":45.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true},{"title":"Fine Art Framed \/ A4 (21x29.7 cm) \/ Black frame","offer_id":58942901944655,"sku":null,"price":45.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true},{"title":"Fine Art Framed \/ A4 (21x29.7 cm) \/ Wood frame","offer_id":58942901977423,"sku":null,"price":45.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true},{"title":"Fine Art Framed \/ A4 (21x29.7 cm) \/ Dark wood frame","offer_id":58942902010191,"sku":null,"price":45.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true},{"title":"Fine Art Framed \/ A3 (29.7 x 42  cm) \/ Black frame","offer_id":58942902042959,"sku":null,"price":60.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true},{"title":"Fine Art Framed \/ A3 (29.7 x 42  cm) \/ Wood frame","offer_id":58942902075727,"sku":null,"price":60.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true},{"title":"Fine Art Framed \/ A3 (29.7 x 42  cm) \/ Dark wood frame","offer_id":58942902108495,"sku":null,"price":60.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true},{"title":"Fine Art Framed \/ A2 (42 x 59.4  cm) \/ Black frame","offer_id":58942902141263,"sku":null,"price":90.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true},{"title":"Fine Art Framed \/ A2 (42 x 59.4  cm) \/ Wood frame","offer_id":58942902174031,"sku":null,"price":90.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true},{"title":"Fine Art Framed \/ A2 (42 x 59.4  cm) \/ Dark wood frame","offer_id":58942902206799,"sku":null,"price":90.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0833\/9292\/1935\/files\/Bull-headed-Shrike-and-Bluebird-with-Saxifrage-and-Wild-Strawberry_Poster_CompositorV1_1790719697094.jpg?v=1790720586","url":"https:\/\/www.solisprints.co.uk\/products\/bull-headed-shrike-and-bluebird-with-saxifrage-and-wild-strawberry-katsushika-hokusai","provider":"Solis Prints","version":"1.0","type":"link"}