The Floating World
Hibiscus and Sparrow
Katsushika Hokusai · c. 1833–34
What it is
A sparrow dives past a branch of pink hibiscus, wings swept back, an instant from passing out of the sheet.
Why it matters
The classic kachō-ga pairing — bird and flower, motion and stillness — done with Hokusai's draftsman's speed: the bird is all trajectory.
What to notice
The hibiscus leaves are toothed like saw blades, each notch a carver's decision; the sparrow's underside is one soft, unbroken tone.
"The flower holds still. The bird cannot."
The record
- Artist
- Katsushika Hokusai 葛飾北斎 (1760–1849)
- Date
- c. 1833–34
- Medium
- woodblock print; ink and color on paper
- Source
- The Art Institute of Chicago · 1925.3371
Impression note. The hibiscus pinks are fugitive and differ most between printings; a fine impression holds the serrated leaf edges sharp and the bird's soft underside tone even. Impression variance is real — printings differ in wiping and fading — and choosing the finest openly held impression is the curatorial act.
Public domain; faithfully reproduced.
Bring it home
Printed to order on EMA matte art paper, 200gsm.
More Katsushika Hokusai
Thirty-six Views of Mount Fuji (Fugaku sanjūrokkei)Under the Wave off Kanagawa (The Great Wave)Katsushika Hokusai · c. 1830–32
Thirty-six Views of Mount Fuji (Fugaku sanjūrokkei)Fine Wind, Clear Morning (Red Fuji)Katsushika Hokusai · c. 1830–32
Thirty-six Views of Mount Fuji (Fugaku sanjūrokkei)Thunderstorm Beneath the SummitKatsushika Hokusai · c. 1830–32
Thirty-six Views of Mount Fuji (Fugaku sanjūrokkei)Kajikazawa in Kai ProvinceKatsushika Hokusai · c. 1830–32The road at your moment — Painted Earth’s ukiyo-e style pack.